Devil's deceit
by Redemption Moon
Summary: Ah yes ! After a month !!!! Life is full of lies ; even the reality we exist in is but a mere illusion of the wicked world ... and ... even the most adept fall victim to the Devil's deceit . SxKxAxKxN !
1. Lunacy

This is the first chapter of the sequel of Confused Identity . I'm not sure where it is going at the moment but I supposed you could take this as some sort of preview .  
  
This is probably not going to make a lot of sense if you have never read the first part of the sequel , so to understand it more ; if you haven't read Confused Identity yet , I suggest that you do that ; and of course , don't forget to review that one too . I still check reviews for all my fics , as all of my readers know ; I am review-hungry lunatic . so please feed me ?  
  
Never ever forget to review . Please ? ^_____^  
  
Summary : Everything has changed drastically after Ken's death . Both the Schwarz and teams are unable to function properly and are both currently out of action .  
  
- - -  
  
The clouds had grown darker , more menacing with its occasional booms of thunder and lightning tearing through those inky depths . Random droplets of water found their way to the thirsty ground .  
  
He had been wandering aimlessly for a day , walking blindly , allowing himself only to put one foot in front of the other in hopes of reaching a destination that eluded him . Thoughts raced through his head , each angrier than the last . The world seemed to color itself red . The color of his hair , the color of blood ... and worse . the color of angry flames dancing in the dark .  
  
The sun had long since abandoned him with only the angry thunder to keep him company ; but even the thunder will cease and will leave him in silence ...  
  
He was always abandoned by everything good in the world . Abandoned . By everyone and everything . Except the voice in his head .  
  
The voice was of the one whom he loved the most ; the person whom he was willing to sacrifice his life for ; it was the same voice that tormented him continuously .  
  
" Why did you kill me Schuldich ? Why did you kill me ?"  
  
Pale lips moved in response , haunted jade eyes darted nervously at the dark shadows looming around him . " I ... I ... didn't ... kill you Ken ."  
  
" But you did Schuldich . You MURDERED me ! Like you murdered all those innocent people before me ."  
  
" N ... No ... Ken ..."  
  
" LIAR !!! YOU allowed me to DIE ! I DIED because you didn't do anything to SAVE me ! I thought you loved me ... I thought you were different ... You lied to me all along ."  
  
" I do ... I do love you Ken ! I do ! I do ! I do ! I do !" Harsh green eyes mellowed and misted , thin lips trembled . " I'm sorry Ken ... I'm so so sorry ." He moaned . A sigh escaping from an anguished heart .  
  
" That's not ENOUGH !"  
  
His reply came as a whisper , barely audible in the din of forces of nature at work .  
  
" What do you want me to do mein lieb ? What do you want me to do ?"  
  
" Save me Schuldich . Save me please ."  
  
Golden hands reached out from a blinding pool of light . Golden hands he knew so well . Those same fingers that he kissed every night . Those calloused palms he caressed tenderly day after day .  
  
He reached out , towards the light , towards that blessed vision .  
  
Everything was hushed . Even nature wanted to know what was going to happen next ...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was too late for him when he heard the deafening noise .  
  
Too late for him to realize where he was , what was happening in his reality ...  
  
  
  
Tires squealed in protest as they skidded on the slippery surface of the wet road .  
  
*Thud*  
  
The sound of flesh hitting merciless metal .  
  
  
  
He was flung back like a helpless ragdoll , eyes blank , unseeing . Animated jade eyes glazing over into a dull pool of mist . His head lolled to the side , thick fiery tresses darkening with the rain .  
  
The driver of the vehicle quickly jumped out of his car into the drenching , his lips twisted in a large "O" of horror . " Oh my god !"  
  
Booted feet ran towards the prone figure lying on the cold , wet cement .  
  
Curses sprang forth as he caught sight of the blood marring the face of his victim . His fingers clasped in a gesture of prayer , he approached the unconscious man stretched on the ground ; wishing ; hoping against hope that the man was still alive .  
  
Uncertainly , he moved forward , and finally kneeled beside the man . He had no idea what to do ; and the only thought that came into his mind was what his body followed .  
  
He shook the red-haired man slowly , trying to rouse him .  
  
There was no response .  
  
He was dead !  
  
He had just killed a man !  
  
Oh god ! Help me please !  
  
Panicked thoughts raced through his frantic brain . Hands moved forward once more to shake the man to life when a grotesque snarl nearly made the boy jump out of his skin .  
  
The blood-covered face shot forward , sharp teeth snapping dangerously inches from his face ; like a wild animal caught in a snare .  
  
The youth froze , not able to move a muscle , as the previously unmoving man staggered to his feet in an inebriated fashion .  
  
Taking a few steps forward , the injured man progressed into the darkness without a backward glance and disappeared into the twilight as suddenly as he had appeared . Leaving the terrified boy on the road cowering in terror .  
  
No trace of him was left but a few drops of scarlet blood , swirling with clear liquid .  
  
  
  
- - -  
  
  
  
R_M : Like I said , review and tell me what you think .  
  
The button's down there as you all know .  
  
Arigatou ! ^__^ 


	2. Unforseen mishap

R_M : This is the second chapter of the sequel of Confused Identity . So far I still don't know where this is going but I trust I'll snag inspiration soon and my muses will go singing like canaries . (^_~)  
  
I hope it comes soon though ...  
  
* Takes a deep breath * Well here goes ...  
  
- - -  
  
The phone jangled loudly , almost deafeningly on its hook , making Crawford look up from his morning paper . A perfect brow arched up in puzzlement .  
  
Who could be calling this early in the morning ?  
  
He glanced up at the clock ; 7:30 a.m.  
  
He doubted that it was any of Nagi's classmates and it certainly didn't belong to Farfarello's ...  
  
He folded his paper neatly and placed it on the table and approached the telephone with an unexplainable feeling of dread .  
  
The ringing seemed to take a new tone ; its once annoying sound had become ominous .  
  
Tapered fingers reached for the headset . " Yes ?"  
  
" Mr. Crawford ?"  
  
" Who is this ?" Calm and cold . The adjectives that could perfectly describe his voice  
  
" Uh ... sir - I was ordered by the headquarters to report to you sir ."  
  
" Well ? Report ."  
  
It looked as if the man was quite disconcerted by the order " Uh ... sir ... well we found Mastermind ."  
  
" What's his status ?"  
  
" He has a three broken ribs and two cracked ones . Right arm is broken , and a severe concussion . The worst of his injuries , sir , is the internal bleeding . The doctors are trying to patch him up but they said they couldn't tell yet how it's going to turn out this early . They're also checking him for any signs of brain damage ."  
  
" What happened ?"  
  
The operative cleared his throat . " They say that he was probably hit by a car ... hard . It was a wonder how he even got up ."  
  
" Where's the driver now ?"  
  
" Estet is tracking the car sir ."  
  
" Is Mastermind awake ?"  
  
" Well ... sir , we had to sedate him heavily for the time being ."  
  
" He allowed you to sedate him ?"  
  
" Well , no sir . He was raving like a lunatic and he attacked Dr. Murasaki . Mauled him like a wildcat , that he did . The doctor is in the ICU right now and the headquarters ordered for Mastermind to be given sedatives . It took eight people to pin him down sir ."  
  
* A Schwarz he is ... * Despite himself , Crawford could keep a smile . Schuldich would never go down without a fight ; even with Estet operatives .  
  
" I'll be there in half an hour ."  
  
" Yes sir ."  
  
Crawford replaced the handset ; his brows furrowed in a deep frown .  
  
What the hell happened with Schuldich ?  
  
- - -  
  
Well , just two days ago , I saw a fic written by another author that has the same title as the predecessor of this one . I'm not sure whether or not it was just a coincidence or whether I should be flattered by the use of the title ... I don't exactly have exclusive use of the titles I think of ... I dunno , some people might think childish but I just like being unique even if what I'm writing has proven to be cliché ideas already .  
  
Enough of this ranting and raving about a fic title ... you might be thinking what a shallow little wretch I am ...  
  
Anyway , review onegai ! ^___^;;;; 


	3. Questions of existence

Gomen nasai , it took me a looooooong time to post . I know some people are grumbling threats and waving sharp objects at me by now . Sorry ; I was just reeeeaaaaallllyyyyy busy these past few weeks with exams and all . Being in high school is TUFF ... TUFF ... TUFF !!!!! *shakes her fist*  
  
Kamisama ! If only Zeus would strike my school down with a thunderbolt and give me permanent holiday from school ! *imagines and has a silly grin on her face*  
  
I MIGHT be introducing an OC in this chapter ; it is up to you to conclude what you might and may . - - -  
  
The world was spinning softly . he knew . he could hear it whirring on its axis . The silent frrrrrrhhhhhhhhh that made you wonder if something was broken ... frrrrrrrrhhhhhh ...  
  
Maybe something was wrong with the world . Maybe it was indeed broken .  
  
He could hardly breath . Tried as he might to gasp in a lungful of wonderful air , it was as if the earth was trying to deny him the simple need of air .  
  
Life was cruel ...  
  
He tried to pry open his eyes - it took an eternity .  
  
And when he did open it ; he wasn't able to see anything at all ; nothing but darkness .  
  
He laughed . His throat was making strange gurgling sounds ; like a drowning man . His chest was constricting for the lack of air ; it was as if he was slowly being choked to death by an unseen hand .  
  
He hated confined spaces . He hated darkness . He hated not being able to breathe freely .  
  
He was in fact , claustrophobic ; something that had almost killed him off because of hyperventilation before ... and yet here he was in a solid box with no way out . Fate was a sadist ; now he knew . He laughed .  
  
With all the strength he could muster , he pounded his fist against the hard wood . It made a dull thud . With a sinking feeling , he realized that he had already been buried . Underground . Alive .  
  
They had buried him underground alive . The bastards !  
  
He banged his fist against the unyielding barrier . He needed to get out ! He needed fresh air !  
  
He had done so for a long time , heaving against the wood with all his strength and failing to do much damage against his enemy because of lack of space .  
  
The oxygen was running out . He could feel it ... with one last desperate attempt ; a rain of splinters started to land on his unprotected face , blinding him with the sharp edges . He lolled his head to the side .  
  
Finally !  
  
He heard the sound of cracking , he felt blood dribbling down his throbbing fists and he smiled . A wild smile . A smile he had never smiled before .  
  
The barrier snapped open , exploding into the open air ; letting the welcome oxygen to come to him . It was a pleasant feeling , being alive . It was something he had never appreciated before . Like a bittersweet memory that remains with you and yet barely remember .  
  
His unsure feet wobbled like a small filly's ; a newborn trying to walk at once . He braced himself against the edges of the coffin (which was what the damnable box was - probably) He staggered to his feet and felt the cool breeze washing over him .  
  
Beautiful , beautiful life ! He was alive ! Breathing ! Oh pure benevolence !  
  
But ... why had God created the world so dark ?  
  
He gasped ' why? ' and fell down once more into the abyss . He had lost the battle and oblivion was closing in on him .  
  
- - -  
  
Yes ! Yes ! Yes ! It's a sucky chapter ! I know ! You might be saying that you guys don't deserve to get this terrible chapter after all the waiting you've done ! I'm very very very sorry . I'm just so busy these past few weeks (months ? has it been more than a month since I last updated already ?) that I haven't had the time or the energy to write something even resembling decency ; after all , I still do have my pride .  
  
Hmmmm... I wonder if this "new" character plays a big part in the story or is he just a wallflower ? Hmmmmm .. ?  
  
What do you guys think ?  
  
Drop me a line pleaaaaaaaaze !!!! *begging eyes*  
  
Yohji : *mutters* The little bitch . she's made the story run around the Schwarz and this new guy when I haven't even been shown in even one itsy bitsy scene yet . Omi : *nods sympathetically and pats him on the back* Hai , hai . I know what you mean Yohji-kun . Redemption : Jerks ! You'll see ! If you want yourselves to be seen that bad ; go write your own fanfics ! Do I even get to talk in the story ? Huh ?! And you don't see me complaining d'ya ? Y_Y Jerks . Ken's ghost : *pats pats* Don't worry Redemption-chan ; I'll take care of you . *smiles at her* Redemption : @_@;;;; Waaaaaiiiiiiiiiii ! *runs around , screaming* 


	4. Contemplations

Much as I am very disappointed with the recent turnout of reviews ( I got only two reviews for chapter 3 ) I couldn't very well disappoint them in turn . I would like to thank those two very , very special people . You know who you are ^__^  
  
- - -  
  
Crawford drove through the silent streets , lost in thought . He was mulling over what had happened the past few months . Disaster had come one after the other and all the trouble and loss had suddenly torn their team apart .  
  
Schwarz has never experienced anything like it ... in all their years in operation ; never have they gone through something this devastating .  
  
And it was all Crawford's fault .  
  
He had no idea how this idea of his would turn out .  
  
It was one of the rare occasions that his visions have never told him what to do or plagued him with the future consequences of his actions . It was on of the few things he had decided on that he was actually unsure .  
  
He had brought down his team . He had disappointed all the members of his team ; driving one insane ; the second to seclusion and a third to ... well , Berserker was still the same .  
  
He wondered what if he didn't bring Ken into the group ? He was sure that it would have been just as it has always been . The operations would go without a hitch and they would be fighting their respective Weiß . Instead he had decided to kidnap one of their mortal enemies and brainwashing him into thinking that he was indeed a Schwarz .  
  
It was the first time in his life that Crawford ever played the " what if " game .  
  
Crawford mentally berated himself .  
  
It was one of the stupidest decisions he had ever made in his career . Maybe the only stupid decision he had ever made . Goddamnit !  
  
His Ferrari glided smoothly on the pavement , barely making any noise save a soft purring of the engine .  
  
" I love him , Crawford . I never realized that I could , but I do ." Schuldich's voice echoed in his mind .  
  
" I don't know how what to say to that Schuldich ... maybe I expected that from the beginning but you mustn't let that interfere with our work . Ken is a special person . I know . We couldn't have carried on with him in the team if that wasn't true ; but you must understand that the moment Schwarz is jeopardized because of him , we must let him go ."  
  
He had said that without qualms . He had said that with full convictions on that day . Little did he know that the very reason his team fell apart is because Ken was gone .  
  
He sighed as the car cruised to a halt .  
  
He was in fact , in front of the Estet private facility . One of the many branches of the organization . This was where they kept Schuldich . Bound and broken . Captive in a white padded room with no window to the outside world .  
  
His insanity has reached the point where he had tried to take his own life . And he had attempted several times already .  
  
He was customarily given plastic utensils for his food , but he had tried to gouge out his eyes with the fork . He was then deprived of any utensils . He then ate with his teeth , lapping up the food like some wild animal .  
  
Poor Schuldich . Poor sophisticated Schuldich . Was this what he was reduced to after loving so much ?  
  
Love was indeed a two-edged sword ; you bleed as you feel intoxication .  
  
That was why Crawford avoided loving . But he felt pity and compassion for his team . It was a feeling he rarely ever experienced but even now , he could not contain himself from coming to him . His conscience nagged at him constantly . After all , it was his fault that Schuldich ended up like this ...  
  
With a heavy step , Crawford approached the large white building , his hands clenched tightly at his sides .  
  
- - -  
  
So how'd you like the chapter ? Ooooh ! I must admit I'm proud of the fact that I posted just a few days after Chapter three !  
  
I have tons of homework and stuff to deal with and the projects are a killer , but I couldn't resist posting this ASAP . I know Crawfie was a bit OOC here but ... well , I wanted him to feel the least bit sympathy .  
  
I'm thinking about continuing with his meeting with Schuldich ; but I'm torn between that or some follow up on the OC . So ... well , tell me which of the two you prefer for the next chap.  
  
And mind you ; R E V I E W ! (~.~)v 


	5. Lamentable existence

R_M : Am listening to Goo goo doll's Iris . Am just in the right mood to write this . I suggest you do the same while reading this .  
  
WARNING : ( Literal ) insanity and sadness here . Crawford may seem like an OOC here okay ? ( T____T ) it makes me sad ...  
  
It may seem to be yaoi this one , you might ask me if it is . I won't tell you . Just take it as it is and make your own conclusion .  
  
Arigatou to my two faithful reviewers . I'm grateful that people like you still follow my fic and review .  
  
- - -  
Crawford breathed deeply ; his breath making a seemingly loud rasping exhalation to him . He plucked his glasses and wiped the lenses with his pristine white handkerchief as he slowly walked towards the large white complex .  
  
The guards greeted him courteously , he was , after all , the leader of Schwarz . No matter how useless it seemed to him now . He nodded his response ; blankly rigging of an automatic reaction that others would recognize .  
  
That was exactly what he was feeling - blank .  
  
With a derisive snort , he strode purposefully into the hallways ; trying to mend his façade . It was no use showing them the truth . People were not meant to know the truth .  
  
He did not need to flash any identification nor did he have any need to rattle off his name . Everyone in the compound knew Bradley Crawford .  
Soon , he was being escorted through the intricate circuits of the building . A maze of hot-white halls and blinding lights . After what seemed like a brief moment ; they stopped in front of a large door ; white , like everything around it . They seemed to have decided to camouflage everything in the building with this hideous color .  
  
White .  
  
Weiß .  
  
Ken Hidaka was a Weiß ... before he made the mistake of making him a Schwarz .  
  
Weiß was white ; and they were black . A gray area could never exist . One must win over the other or both must be destroyed .  
  
How could he have ever thought that they could ?  
  
And now he paid with his teammates . Dearly .  
  
" We're here Mr. Crawford ."  
  
He snapped out of his thoughts when his guide , the head doctor in the facility , spoke softly ; as if intimidated by the tall man beside him .  
  
He nodded his assent and waved the man away .  
  
" But sir , I must warn you that -."  
  
Crawford's head snapped sideways , his sharp eyes flashing in fury . " Leave ." His tone was calm ; yet lethal . A combination that no one could help but be terrified of .  
  
The man's nerves seemed frayed , he stumbled backwards and merely nodded . He glanced nervously at the guards beside the door and said in a frazzled tone . " Wait for Mr. Crawford's call ." before stumbling away .  
  
The sentries held their stun guns on one hand and opened the door for Crawford . The first leading to a second where two similarly white-clad guards stood by .  
  
It was the final door to Mastermind's cell .  
  
An involuntary shudder crept through his spine .  
The one of the two guards whispered into a black radio , obviously requesting clearing to open the cell .  
  
The door was opened with just enough space for him to pass through ; and was closed immediately after , its automated lock falling into place .  
  
The first thing he noticed was the stench ; an odor so strong that he had the urge to turn back and slip through the door . But , he restrained himself . Indeed , his discipline was too great to do that .  
  
After all ; this was the least he could do after he brought all this misery into their group .  
  
The room was dark ... no , dim . He could remember someone telling him that Mastermind hated the bright lights and would go into a frenzy whenever they were turned on .  
  
He snorted . Schuldich must be tired of the color of his room .  
  
He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness and let his eyes roam around the surprisingly large room .  
  
It was a surprisingly large area , roughly twenty square feet , padded , from what he could discern , from floor to ceiling with cushions .  
  
Here and there were evidences of human refuse ; murky blotches .  
  
Crawford was almost thankful of the dimness .  
  
But he couldn't see Schuldich . There was no figure huddling in the corner or throwing tantrums . Mastermind was simply not there .  
  
His precognition warned him in a blinding flash of images ; and he threw himself forcefully against the wall as a shrieking pile of claws and teeth fell from above .  
  
The animal he had become landed on the soft cushions , pivoted and launched himself at the American like a spitting wildcat in full fury , his eyes wild , bloodshot and on fire ; his mouth foaming .  
  
He wrestled with Crawford .  
  
He was surprisingly strong . But , Crawford supposed , all madmen were like that . It was all he could do to keep the other from biting into his neck or scratching out his eyes .  
  
Crawford had come prepared . He whipped up a small syringe and injected its contents into Mastermind's neck .  
  
He slumped forward into Crawford's arms , unconscious .  
  
Gently , he turned Schuldich over in his arms and his heart constricted at the sight .  
  
It was lamentable . Crawford had never experienced such a potent sadness before in his life .  
  
Schuldich's former glorious hair was limped and dry ; full of tangled knots . His pale face and arms were full of angry scratches , marks of clawing nails in full ferocity . There were open wounds everywhere . And under the rabid foaming , his teeth had become a dubious shade of yellow ...  
  
A sigh so deep issued from Crawford's thin lips ; and he whispered so softly .  
  
" Why ? Why all this for him ?"  
  
The figure in his arms did not reply .  
  
" Do you blame me ? Am I to blame ? ... forgive me ..."  
  
He brushed the mangled hair aside ; his heart tendering in a way he had never experienced before . " Did you become like this because you take upon yourself his death , or is it because you want to die ? Answer me ... I ... implore you ..."  
  
Crawford started to shake forcefully . He had no idea why ; no thought on how to stop it ... thankfully , there were no cameras inside .  
  
Schuldich was slowly coming to . The sedative was effective and should make him more subdued as Crawford intended .  
  
Glazed jade eyes stared at him dully . Crawford could see dusty flecks of gold in those green depths . It was almost as beautiful as it was before .  
  
Crawford allowed himself a thin smile as he gazed down at the child-like countenance of one whom he had before regarded as a friend and ally .  
  
" Do you remember me Schuldich ?"  
  
For a brief moment , Crawford thought he had seen a flash of recognition in those green eyes ; and it drove into him doubts on whether it had indeed happened , or was it just his underlying longing that caused the realistic hallucinations to spring into mind and sight .  
  
Just as quickly , it was gone and angry snarl issued from bruised lips . Schuldich jumped back like an injured animal .  
  
Feebly , Crawford stood up , brushing imaginary dust off his pristine white suit . He felt wearier than he had ever in his whole life ; and he couldn't bear to look at Schuldich like that for another moment - not today.  
  
He walked to the door , which , as if by magic , sprung open a notch to let him through and shut just in time before the fury within launched himself at the door .  
  
Crawford could see the rabid eyes though the tiny square of bulletproof glass ... and it was gone .  
  
Crawford removed his glasses and pocketed them without another thought as he icily addressed the two men standing guard .  
  
" Clean him up . Clean the place up ."  
  
He had started to walk away .  
  
" I'll be back tomorrow ."  
- - -  
This chapter is sad ... really sad if I do say so myself . I really like all the characters in Weiß Kreuz now . Unlike before when I just loved Ken , liked Schuldich and Nagi , felt indifferent about Crawford , Aya , Yohji and Farfarello and hated Omi . Now I like ALL of them , Ken the best still ; and of course I still hate Omi .  
  
Ever notice why he rarely is ever there ?  
  
No offence to Omi fans .  
  
Sad .  
R E V I E W O N E G A I ! 


	6. Freedom

Well , this chapter is sort of like a teaser chapter . I made this thinking it was gonna go longer but decided that it should end where it ended before giving anything important away .  
  
Anyhow , I think you would quickly forget all about it since the next chapter will probably surprise the hell out of you ... well ; okay so not really but it would be giving all of you guys exactly what you want .  
  
REVIEW ... or I'll . I'll make the next chapter SUCK !!! *grinz evilly*  
  
Despite this sucking like hell . please review . I'd be pleased to get as many reviews on the sequel as on the first installment . Arigatou ! ^^;  
  
- - -  
  
He could feel the fresh air in his face ; the cold blast on his skin .  
  
It tasted sweet in his mouth . Freedom . One word he cherished all his life . Freedom  
  
From the beginning they treated him like a slave . He was a toy or pet to be trained and controlled .  
  
Well he was going to show them who controlled who .  
  
A slow grin spread across his face as he stepped out of the steep hole where he had been buried for five days .  
  
Yes .  
  
They thought they could get rid of him that easy ; did they ? Well they were just going to see what happens next because they couldn't very well have expected for him to stay down there forever , now did they ?  
  
The grass was damp , but then again , it was still early .  
  
His bare feet came into contact with the cool grass and he smiled at the sensation .  
  
He could hear laughing from afar . His senses were in fact very keen . An advantage he had over 'normal' people .  
  
Children . Playing .  
  
He wondered if he had ever experienced playing .  
  
He sifted through his memories ; hoping to find the right one . But he had reached the end without a single one of him playing or laughing or screaming in joy like other children .  
  
He simply grew up ... different .  
  
And who had he to thank for that ?!  
  
THEM .  
  
Them .  
  
But he'll get even .  
  
They'll see . They'll see who exactly they messed with . 


	7. Rebirth

R_M : OMG ! I'm so excited with this chapter . It may seem all muddled and vague but you'll piece it together as the story continues .  
  
Don't worry ... I think ... but anyway ; just READ ON AND REVIEW !!! I MEAN IT !!!  
- - -  
  
It was early in the morning ; the sound of chirping birds filtered into the large room and the golden morning sunlight filtered through the heavy drapes , which were closed at the moment . The room was not the kind you will find in a normal lunacy facility ; it was the kind you would find in a five-star hotel .  
  
It had not been used before ; until now .  
  
" Come now baby , you will have a bath now , wouldn't you ?" she coaxed gently .  
  
Her name was Suzume Suyukaze . She was twenty-eight years old . With chestnut-colored locks , large cerulean eyes and a trim athletic figure ; you wouldn't say that she belonged in an insane ward but on the catwalk .  
  
She had been working for the organization for four years now , although nothing of it was new to her . She could cure people . Not with any kind of medicines , not with anything .  
  
It was her :gift: . Yes , she could cure people from mental illnesses and that was what she was born to do ; what she wanted to do .  
  
She wanted to give them a new life . a fresh start .  
  
She was also an asset to the institution . So invaluable that she was sent home everyday with a team of special bodyguards armed to the teeth with specialized weaponry . Her house , a company-owned villa was large and beautiful ; it was also safeguarded by guard dogs , trained lookouts and perimeter security that rivaled the White House's .  
  
***  
  
It was the third week of March when her new charge came in ... He was a 'special case' they said ; not exactly a insanity assignment but they said He would need her most exclusive attention . He was so special that a ß.S. specialist was sent everyday to monitor His progress .  
  
They had given Him to her because they :knew: - they knew her special interest in Him ; and they were confident that she could do the job; that she could bring Him back into the world .  
  
He was the youngest of all she had ever handled ; still in His teens ... [ she mostly handled patients aged 23 above ; the normal range for the department ] and was informed that He had come out from a coma just a few days ago after being comatose for two weeks ; and suddenly , without warning lapsed into a severe case of regression ( a mental defense triggered by acute traumatic episodes or environments )  
  
He had been with her for a full month and was getting to be a little less withdrawn , still quiet most of the time , but it was better .  
  
He had relapsed to the mentality of a five-year old . Savage at times when He was in a particularly bad mood , but otherwise reservedly sweet in the deepest sense of the word . He would give her flowers from the compound garden , a bit wilted and crumpled due to clumsy hands but she profoundly appreciated those little gestures .  
  
She often wondered why He had become like that ; sometimes she would lie awake at night thinking about it ... He was a strong person ; she knew . Oh yes , she was aware of all the unfortunate circumstances that had happened to Him this past year ... but ... well , she had thought He would not be broken by :that: . Goddamn it ! Why were the best people always became the victims of circumstances ?!  
  
Oh by God , was He handsome . Unruly hair , dark eyes so enshrouded in mystery . with features so charming that she could almost stare at Him the whole day ...  
  
***  
  
It was nine o'clock in the morning and time for His daily bath .  
  
He allowed himself to be shepherded to the bathroom and be undressed without any protest and He stood before her , naked in all His glory , staring at her with those unfathomable dark eyes .  
  
She never once failed to admire those supple muscles ; the tanned skin , the lean frame ... He was built like an athlete ... or a demigod .  
  
Then her eyes would fall on those large gashes on His back , on His shoulders ... on His chest ... and she would close her eyes and nudge Him into the large cubicle .  
  
She couldn't bear to look at the scars ... His scars . It was something that tore her heart for some unknown reason . Maybe it was because of His past ... or maybe because she knew , with a deep foreboding ; His future .  
  
God knows .  
  
She grimaced at the random thoughts that ran through her head as she ran the soft sponge on His skin until He was , from head to toe , covered with soapy foam . Then she ran a slick shampooed hand into His silky hair .  
  
He was busy playing with the bar of soap , letting it slip through his hands and retrieving it . He never laughed , not even smiled , but watched everything from jaded eyes .  
  
She turned the shower on and was surprised when He gave a startled shout and sprang away into the farthest part of the cubicle , away from the scalding hot water . He slipped and hit His head on the tiled wall , He whimpered as He sank down ; fear in His eyes .  
  
She was immediately contrite . " I'm sorry ... I'm so sorry baby . I had no idea ."  
  
Those same dark orbs trained on her once more . She was used to Him staring at her like that but still , she could never keep herself from being disconcerted .  
  
Fingertips touched tanned skin , causing Him to recoil in fear .  
  
" It's ok . I turned it off . You want cold water ?"  
  
He nodded warily .  
  
One thing she noticed was that he was in perpetual fear of bright lights - of warmth , even of certain colors ... any shade of red to be exact ... she knew that red was the color of ...  
  
She smiled reassuringly as she turned on the water after adjusting the heat . She let the cold water run down her hand . " It's cold ."  
  
Slowly , He crawled forward , like an injured animal ; His eyes ablaze with tentative fear .  
  
He was so , so broken .  
  
It made her want to weep .  
  
Once , that day when he was brought into the maximum-security compound ; they told her His name ...  
  
His eyes searched hers the moment they met .  
  
And she realized that finally He had come home ...  
  
In a way , she was sorry for all the people He had left behind . He was a beautiful person ... every breathing moment told her that . But she was also glad ; the selfish part of her reveled in the fact that He :needed: her .  
  
All those years watching from afar , seeing but not being able to touch ... being near yet at the same time so far away .  
  
Oh yes , she knew every epic moment of His life . From the second that He took that gasping breath and wailed at the top of His lungs as an infant ; until the weeks He spent unconscious at the ward . she knew of it all .  
  
She watched silently as He splashed in the water ; quite content without her help .  
They all thought He had died that night at Tokyo Tower ; never knowing that He was ... reborn ...  
  
+++ The world had changed the moment He had entered her life nineteen years ago . She was just nine years old ; but she remembered every detail as her mother placed the beautiful wailing child in her arms as another was taken out ;  
  
Those dark eyes watery with tears ; as a tiny tight-fisted hand waved in the air , a small band reading His name . +++  
" I'll get through to you . I promise you that ... Ken Hidaka ."  
  
- - -  
  
Boy am I jealous of her . She gets to bathe My Kenken T__T . Darn it ... don't worry luv , I'm the one who's going to get you in the end . Mwahahahahahah!  
  
Did you know that I almost gave the chapter away on the start note at the beginning of the chapter ?! Thank goodness I rechecked and decided to edit or you guys would've known at once that he was ALIIIIIVE and it would spoil it !!!  
  
I apologize for the change of writing style . I am currently reading books from a particular author on my free time and I sometimes get influenced by the authors if I write immediately afterwards . I guess you noticed that in my other fic ; "Sword Buried Deep" where I actually uh . sorta sounded like Dumas' (I think) (Y_Y)'' Anyway ; I'm not really happy about how I wrote this ; but I'm ok with the gist of the story . It's unbeta-ed ; so there may be a lot of errors here .  
  
Misura (Ch. 5-6) Yes , Ken is my favorite WK member ; did I really kill him ?! Mwahaha ! Of course not ! I do remember someone saying that I left the door open for a sequel didn't I ?! ^__^ Oh yes , and about the OC - he does deserve a chapter of his own ... he is after all , gonna be really important (.);;; meeep ! Oh no ! I said it ! I'll shut up now ... o_X  
  
Whisper_Reilman (Ch. 5-6) Thank you ! I'm glad to see someone agrees with my point of view ! LOL ! Yes . I can imagine Schu going rabid and freaky and all that ... I just hope it won't last long ... after all , Ken's still alive ne ? ^_~ *nudge nudge*  
  
I'm really grateful to you two guys ! You're the only ones left of my used- to-be many RnR'ers !!! *Bows* I hope that now Ken's alive ; they'll all come back ! LOL ! :P  
  
To everyone else : TELL ME IF YOU LIKE IT SO FAR (or) I WILL CHANGE THE STORY AND NOT BRING HIM BACK AGAIN !!!  
  
In other , more diplomatic words : " Please review ." ^____^ 


	8. Acceptance

R_M : I'mma listening to 'Eyes on Me' by Faye Wong . The song from FFVIII ... it's a good song ; I suggest you go listen to it on the part that Crawfie goes angsting . *LOL* ^__^;;; Well here's something yummy I bet you didn't expect ... have fun !  
  
You might see an itsy bitsy part about Ayan ... now we couldn't forget all about him now could we ?  
  
- - -  
  
Crawford strode through the familiar white maze of halls determinedly , his mind in a tangle of thoughts .  
  
He remembered his encounter with Mastermind yesterday , and corner of his mouth turned down in annoyance at the memory .  
  
He had not even been able to talk to the bastard coherently ; just sedated him and watch him foam at the mouth .  
  
Never mind , he was going to get through today and that was final . He was used to getting his way , and not even a cocky , insane sonuvabitch like Schuldich can keep him from it . And today , he was dead set on getting Schuldich to snap out of that idiotic misery he was in .  
  
After all , it was no use wasting himself inside that cell when they still had Weiß to kill .  
  
The strange thing was , that reason never justified itself to him . He had returned yesterday back to their building in confusion . He could not get his mind off the encounter with a deranged Schuldich . He could not deny to himself the fact that he had been afraid ... for the first time in a long , long while ; and he could not understand it .  
  
Surely Schuldich's madness alone would not have made him feel that way ... Had it happened before , Crawford would have looked at him coldly , weighed his options and shot Schuldich on the head .  
  
But now ...  
  
Well , to be sure , he sympathized with the poor sod - in his own way ... but was it :just: that ?  
  
He was turning the matter over and over in his head without reaching any acceptable conclusion . ::Why did he even care at all ? Was it all because of Schwarz ? Was it all because of the missions ? Or was it something deeper ?::  
  
Ever since Schuldich had met Ken , he had become different . Less of what he was before , and more of another person .  
  
He had seen a side of Schuldich that he had never seen before .  
  
Gone was the cynic , the omnipotent-mindedness , the smart-ass potty mouth , the prying gossip ... and was replaced by a caring , sincere and considerate Schuldich .  
  
The redhead had finally shown his vulnerable side after years of aloofness ; the part of him that he refused to show . He had dropped his mask to show the susceptible person inside ... for Ken .  
  
It was something that even Crawford's powers could not sufficiently explain .  
  
A random thought rose to his mind , unbidden . So vivid that he was almost there .  
  
It was Mastermind and Siberian - in bed ... doing things he could not even begin to describe ...  
  
And then he realized what that feeling of annoyance was all along ...  
He had fallen ...  
For Schuldich ...  
- - -  
  
The next few weeks was excruciating for both Schuldich and Crawford .  
  
The American visited Schuldich precisely the same time each day like clockwork . He was never late and his routine nor did his demeanor vary .  
  
After his fifth visit to Schuldich , he realized that the German could not remember anything about Ken . Maybe after all the raging and the violence ; his mind just shut down ; making him forget that gruesome part of his history . Maybe ...  
  
Perhaps that was why Crawford was finally getting through to him - Because Schuldich had forgotten the source of all his pain .  
  
Crawford had thought that that was fortunate . No ... not fortunate . It was an unexpected blessing  
  
No ... even he couldn't bear to see Schuldich suffering more than he had to . He had a heart ; despite what everybody thought ... and that heart fractured a fraction every time he saw the redhead's pain .  
  
And he intended to keep it that way .  
  
For his sake .  
  
For all their sakes .  
  
- - -  
  
The Koneko no Sumu Ie was just about to close shop . After the endless multitudes of girls coming to 'visit' , Aya was weary .  
  
It was Saturday after all which was always the peak day of the week ... and they were short-handed ...  
  
Yohji and Omi had already gone out for some take-out dinner , leaving Aya to himself . It was exactly what he needed ; some time alone . The two had never left his side ever since He had -  
  
Shit ...  
  
Even after three months he still couldn't forget Ken for five straight minutes .  
  
So that was how long it's been ... He's been gone for that long ...  
  
Aya sighed and turned towards the door . Manx hasn't been coming for a while now ; perhaps Persia had taken into consideration to the current dilemma and was mulling it over . Aya was glad for that ; he wasn't ready to go to missions yet . He wasn't ready to put the lives of what remained of his team on the line and make a mistake that could kill them all off .  
  
No , not yet .  
  
A strong gust of wind forced open the glass door , sending the chime tinkling melodiously .  
  
:: Aya ... I love you::  
  
Mauve eyes became dangerous slits . Aya was livid .  
  
Damn that Schwarz bastard to hell ! How dare he mess with his mind !  
  
:: I love you Ayan ... ::  
  
*Ayan ? That was what Ken called him before ... before he ...*  
  
" Ken ?" His croaked . His throat had gone dry , as if sandpaper was forced inside . " Ken ?!" His voice had pitched higher . He was in panic . Pale hands shook as he turned inside the shop ; flashing eyes searching for that one face ; that one form that he held so dear .  
  
" KEN ?! Where are you ?!"  
  
All of a sudden , the wind ceased and the door thundered shut , jolting him out of his delirium and making his world crash in fragments all around him .  
  
:: Ayan ::  
  
In all the months that Ken had been gone - Aya had never shed a single tear ...  
  
... But three words made him truly remember what it was really like to lose someone you care for ...  
  
::I love you Ken ... ::  
- - -  
  
R_M : Yes ... I know it was lame ... It was also longer than most chapters (except chapter seven) That would keep you satisfied till the next post ? ^^;  
  
I'm soooo glad reviewers have come back to support my fic ! ^___^ I'm so happy ! *glomps all the reviewers* [ marsupial , dom , Whisper_Reilman , Anna_Hibiki , Misura and Suisei_Lady_Dragon ]  
  
I'm glad to see fresh ... uh ... faces (?) Like dom , Anna_Hibiki , and Suisei_Lady_Dragon ^^; welcome to my twisted world !!! *laughs evilly* Keep on RnR'ing !!! ^^;;  
  
Marsupial : Of course he was ! I'm not going to write a sequel without Ken in it ... he's much important to me for that ... after all , he's my reason for living (?) ... (.);; *sweatdrops at the drama*  
  
Dom : I scare myself sometimes too ... he ... hehe ...  
  
Whisper_Reilman : Actually ... Ken is in my bathroom right now and singing *Shindemo ii* in the shower . He's calling me , gotta go ... We're gonna take a bath together ... *winks winks* MWAHAHAHAHAHA !  
  
Anna_Hibiki : I agree , Schu does deserve Ken more than Ayan (we're really close , Aya and I . First-name relationship) *LOL* *eyes widen at Anna kicking Ayan and rolls on the floor , laughing uncontrollably* You go girl !!! ^^;;  
  
Misura : *bows at the compliment* I hope I'll be able to keep on surprising you as well . ^__~ ,,,,,,,,,, Suisei_Lady_Dragon : Thanks for saying that ! I appreciate it ! //(^__^)\\  
  
R_M *cowers at all the threats thrown at her if she kills Ken off* Alright , alright ... I won't kill him off ... *gets a mischievous look* Although you didn't say - not to - torture him or anything ... Bwahahahahahahahahaha ... lemmesee about that ... Now how about torture in the shower ????? ... *gets bricked for being such a hentai* I AM NOT A HENTAI !!!!! o_X  
  
There's a little button exactly below this message  
  
Click  
  
Click  
  
Click  
  
RNR !!! 


	9. Ponderings and revealing conversations

R_M : Darn ... I knew it ! I knew it ! oh well ...  
  
***  
  
Schuldich patiently waited for Crawford's visit . Sorting through what has been happening the past few weeks as a way of understanding his situation ...  
  
The queerest thing was , he could not remember what has happened the past few months . Nor could he explain why he was locked up in a padded cell . Or why the stick up Crawford's ass was partially dislodged . It made him raise an eyebrow that the American was a bit off-character these past few weeks ; taking time to actually converse with Schuldich and not just boss him around and be the prick he usually is .  
  
:: Hmmm... what could have made him change his mind ... ?::  
  
A random thought inserted in his mind .  
  
:: Or was it a change of heart ?::  
  
He shrugged and grinned to himself . As close to impossible as what was happening the past few weeks , that was beyond impossible .  
  
Damn , he wanted to get out of that hellhole cell . He didn't even know why he was holed up in that place anyway . When he asked Crawford about it , the bastard merely replied with a " You have been ill " statement , before subtly steering him to another topic .  
  
For some bizarre reason he could fathom , he could not read Crawford's mind . It was something new to him , but in a way , it was welcome . He had not had a day's rest from his powers since the day he had learned to talk , and it was maddening .  
  
He just hoped to God he was going to get out shortly . Crawford had promised him 'soon' and though he hated to admit it ; the smug bastard was always true to his word .  
  
---  
  
Schuldich leaned back against the padded wall as he watched the personnel cleaning up his cell . It occurred to him that it was the procedure conducted to dog kennels ; get in , clean up , lock down .  
  
::Well , woof woof:: . He thought dryly .  
  
Crawford could never stand an unsanitary place . The prick .  
  
One particularly young boy glanced at him , his heart stopped beating for a split second . He was wearing a black cap , mandatory for regular cleaning personnel , but Schuldich could tell there was a shock of brown hair underneath it .  
  
And then the moment was gone . The boy had gone back to spraying the room with a large spray gun filled with chemical cleaning agents .  
  
...  
  
Something nagged at the back of Schuldich's mind . Something he was sure was very important to him . Yet try as he might , it would not come to him ... only laughter .  
  
No , not his (Schuldich's) laughter , nor was it of any person he knew ... it was someone else - someone very important to him .  
  
Dusky grey ... the color of stormy clouds .  
  
Chestnut brown in silky waves ...  
  
The scent of pine and newly cut grass ...  
  
All his dreams and waking moments were filled with hazy memories ...  
  
::Goddamn it !::  
  
He couldn't put a finger on it !  
  
His teeth bared up in a snarl and frightened workers beat a hasty retreat , packing all their equipment with them . They knew Mastermind was the devil incarnate when he was hit by bouts of insanity ; and it was something to be reckoned with .  
  
He was like this when worked up in a rage . A roaring fury on one moment , spent up in the next .  
  
He couldn't deal with it right now ; it was as if something was wrong and it was the cause of all his confusion .  
  
That laugh again ...  
  
::Schuldich ... why did you betray me ?::  
  
" No ... no ... I didn't do anything ! WHO ARE YOU ?!" He shouted at the empty room  
  
" Brad Crawford ." Crawford had just closed the door behind him and was staring at Schuldich coldly .  
  
- - -  
  
Suzume nudged the sliding door close behind her and set down the tray on the glass table on the veranda .  
  
Ken was playing with the soccer ball she had bought for him handling it with a deftness uncanny to most people .  
  
As of the moment he was juggling it on his thigh , never missing a beat , alternating it from the left and right and on his infoot , then bouncing it on a header before resuming juggling on the thigh .  
  
She now understood why he used to be a J-Leaguer . She noticed his eyes as he played , they were alight with a different kind of fire . He had a passion for the sport; the kind that most people never experienced even once in their own lives about anything or anyone . It was strange ... because she ::did:: experience that kind of passion ... but only when ... it involved Him ; Ken .  
  
She knew about the scandal . It was sad that he suffered all of that , his bright future destroyed because of that hypocrite friend of his ... if only the bastard was alive right now , she'd make sure that he would regret what he did for the rest of his miserable life .  
  
He glanced at her for a moment and offered a small , tentative smile . One of the rare occasions , which she never failed to lock away in a small corner of her mind .  
  
Ken had been living with her for a week now , despite the beautiful room and the large garden in the ß.S. facility , she found the atmosphere oppressing and decided to move him to her house ; which would suffice for both their needs .  
  
The organization doubled the security for that reason .  
  
" Come Ken , time for a snack ."  
  
He dropped the ball and headed for her , his hair shiny with sweat .  
  
With a tender smile , she produced a towel and proceeded to wipe him down , as a mother would with her child . Nearby , the head of the guards watched them curiously .  
  
Ken ate the cake with a flourish , nearly choking on it before gulping down the iced tea .  
  
She watched all this with a fond smile . She wasn't sure :how: exactly she felt . On one hand , she felt like a mother would for her son , on the other ... she felt a profound inkling of another type of affection ; the kind that was not purely platonic .  
  
" Tsuyukaze-san . Phone call for you ."  
  
She raised an eyebrow as one of the men handed her the black wireless phone with the ß.S. logo . ( almost everything on her house had that logo X_X I can't imagine mine with a symbol on every single item ; I'd go mad )  
  
" Suzume here ."  
  
" Sean Devlin ."  
  
They spoke in English , a language that she was sure Ken did not understand .  
  
" I thought you had forgotten all about him ."  
  
A laugh on the other side of the line " Why would I ? He is after all , very vital to our operation ; how is he ?"  
  
" He's much better . The improvement is astonishing . He actually *talks* now ."  
  
" Is that such a big thing ?"  
  
" You have no idea ." She smiled when she caught sight of Ken stuffing another cake indelicately in his mouth .  
  
" Would it be long ?"  
  
" I'm afraid it's going to be longer than we expected . He still has many wounds to heal - in body and in mind . Besides ; we both know what he's been through this past year , the added emotional trauma would just be too much to take and he might break down - permanently . As of now I'm having a lot of trouble restoring his mindset to normal . Besides , it would be inhuman of us to place him back inside the battlefield A.S.A.P where he could get hurt in his state ."  
  
There was a long pause during which she assumed he was contemplating on the right thing to do and " I must admit that you are right . I'm still in Japan right now , I have a few things to clear up . There's a lot of confusion around here . Ever since Weiß Kreuz has gone out of commission , the organized crime rate has gone through the roof . I'll be back as soon as possible ... he IS my child after all ."  
  
" And I'll be lonely if you take him away from me again ."  
  
A laugh .  
  
" You can keep him with you for now . But remember , The Black Wolf is still out there ."  
  
" Yes , yes , yes . Not even -He- can get through all the guards you reduced me to live with . I have no privacy ! Sometimes I think they're watching me even while I'm bathing ."  
  
" Of course not . I didn't allow videos inside the house ."  
  
" Good . You should see him Sean . Such innocence . I feel like an old woman compared to him ."  
  
She could almost hear him smiling on the other end . " Darling , you're too young for that kind of thinking . I'd better be going now . The Prime Minister is looking quite strangely at me ."  
  
" Good-bye then ."  
  
" Take good care of him will you ?"  
  
" Of course ."  
  
And he put down the phone .  
  
- - -  
  
R_N : So ! I guess you know who the mysterious talking faceless unknown unidentified weirdo creepy psychopathic maniacal sinister eerie people are in Confused Identity . I've been browsing through the fic , trying to find the chapter where I wrote a part for them but I couldn't find it ... ( the chapter where they are , I mean . Not the fic ) I'm pathetic I don't even know where I put stuff . *wails loudly* how miserable .  
  
Ooooh ! I bet I gave you some food for thought on one line up there didn't I ?! Now go figure ! Mwahahaha ! (.) [I laugh like that too often these days ... I creep myself out ...] *LOL*  
  
Mariki : *cowers and throws furtive glances* SOOOO... You want Ken to end up with Schuschu huh ?! Mwahahahahahahahaha !!! Oh he'll end up with Schu all right ! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes ... he'll end up ... with Schu !!!!! Bwahahahahaha !!!  
  
*borrows an anime antagonist's evil laugh ... preferable Kodatchi Kuno's*  
  
Suisei_ Lady_Dragon : I did didn't I ? I am evil ~ I am the evilest of all the evils in the whole wide world ... ( ) Just kidding . You won't find anything there . But you can't demand that from me ! I happen to like torturing my bishounen ... it goes with the territory XD . ( besides , you DID admit that you liked me torturing them ne ?) *winks winks* ^___~  
  
Uh ... I have been struggling to make a webpage for a couple of days now ; although I have absolutely no idea how it's supposed to be ... I just try to make it up as I go along . Could anyone please tell me how to - you know . When you click something and make it lead to another page ? ( using Frontpage that is ) Arigatou in advance to anyone who does try to help . ^^;  
  
Well , at least I know where to find my reviews and my faithful reviewers ne ? And that a good thing ! ^^;  
  
RnRnRnRnRnRnRnRnR Onegai !!!! 


	10. Means of revenge

Manx stood in front of the Weiß members , her back against the large full- screen television in which Persia's silhouetted usually gave them instructions for a new mission .  
  
" Weiß . Estet's operatives , the Schwarz are on the move again . Our resources tell us that they have an upcoming mission outside of the country . As of today , we have no specific information about that but we are certain that Mastermind has not yet recovered fully ; which would mean that either they are going to wait a few more weeks until his full recuperation or they will proceed without him . It seems that this is a very important mission for them and it would mean that they're up to no good . Weiß , it is your job to find out what they're up to and stop them ."  
  
Manx took a deep breath and looked at each of the operatives in the eye .  
  
" Well ??" She demanded when none of the three spoke .  
  
" But we're not even sure what they want to do ." Omi said , protesting .  
  
" That's your job remember ? Find out and stop them ?" Manx raised an eyebrow .  
  
Omi sighed in defeat .  
  
Yohji lighted a cigarette and reclined against the leather couch . " Which country ?" He asked casually , the signature sunglasses perching low on his nose .  
  
" The United States of America ."  
  
" Wha -? Shit ! This is gonna be bloody sweet ! Lot's of beautiful women , booze , clubs !" The blond grinned like the cat that ate the canary .  
  
" We're going to a mission , Yohji-kun . Not shoot an MTV video ."  
  
The older assassin threw him a dirty look . " Hey , they didn't say we couldn't have our free time , ne ? So don't be an old grump and let's make plans to parrrtaaay !"  
  
" Well ... is everyone coming ?" Manx raised an eyebrow at the group .  
  
" Of course I'm coming ! Damn ! America !" Yohji was grinning so hard that Manx thought all his teeth were going to fall off .  
  
" Bombay ?"  
  
" Hai , Manxu-san ." Omi replied .  
  
" Abyssinian ?"  
  
The redhead barely even threw her a look and silence reigned in the room as everyone stared at him expectantly .  
  
She could tell that he still doubted whether or not they could handle it ; Schwarz was Schwarz after all . And with Siberian gone - well it was a lot more difficult to deal with ... both emotionally and physically .  
  
She knew it wounds him deeply ; Schwarz and Ken . That entire hullabaloo because of that chip Kritiker 'inserted' that didn't even work . Oh yes . She knew about that ; after all she was Persia's secretary .  
  
Despite all the secrecy ; she was aware of what Aya's relationship with the brunette was and she didn't exactly disapprove - Abyssinian needed someone to be emotionally close with after all . It helped the group along ... well - in a way that at least he cared what was going to happen to his team ...  
  
Finally , after what seemed like hours of his unmoving 'stupor' the redhead gave an almost imperceptible nod .  
  
Manx almost sighed in relief . For a moment she was sure that he wasn't going to play along - but then at the back of her mind she relied on the fact that Aya was dead on vengeance - now with Schwarz as much as with Takatori . And when Aya was like that ... it meant blood .  
  
As much as she hated to say it , Aya was one of their most efficient killers , and losing him would be a terrible blow to Kritiker .  
  
" So when do we go ?"  
  
" I'm waiting for the go signal from Persia ... but it would be soon - very soon . We're monitoring developments on the Schwarz but it would be in two weeks at the most . Mastermind is almost out of Estet Insane Facility ."  
  
Yohji whistled in disbelief . " I really can't believe that freak went to the asylum . Sure , he might be psychopathic at times , but the last time a saw him , Ken and he were getting along pretty sanely ." He bit his lip in guilt when he noticed the redhead flinch momentarily .  
  
" Uh ..." Yohji shifted uncomfortably . Despite the long respite ; it was still a delicate issue among them .  
  
" Why don't we go and fetch some breakfast Yohji-kun ? Aya-kun and Manxu- san might be a little hungry ." Omi said , trying to diffuse the situation . He glanced worriedly from face to face and opted to prod Yohji along hurriedly up the stairs before calling back to remaining two . " We'll be back shortly . Don't leave Manxu-san." And then they were gone .  
  
The two remained in fragile silence , each measuring what to say .  
  
Aya knew Manx regarded Ken as a younger brother - and as a friend , and he felt that he should hover on the topic of Ken being ... but then ; he couldn't even bear to think about it on his own without breaking down - so he chose rather not to speak .  
  
" Aya ."  
  
Mauve eyes turned to her wearily , an unspoken question looming in agitation in its depths .  
  
" We haven't really had the opportunity to talk since ... well since he ... What I mean is , are you alright ... now ?" She put a hand on his shoulder .  
  
" What the fuck do you care ?!" Aya replied brusquely , shrugging her hand off violently and glaring up at her , his eyes flashing with uncontrolled fury .  
  
He didn't plan to react that way , but he couldn't help it . The mere referral to Ken made his heart bleed and he couldn't take it anymore . He had been suffering for months ... alone .  
  
That was what really knifed him through . He was alone in his misery . Aya ... well Aya was still in a coma , and the only other person he could really open up to was Ken , and he was exactly the reason why Aya had been shedding quiet tears for the past few nights .  
  
Manx recoiled at his savage expression . She had to admit that she was more than afraid of him than she cared to show . but her eyes softened immediately . She knew precisely what he was going through and she knew how much it hurts .  
  
Losing someone does not the way you expect it to feel . It doesn't just stay long with you . It doesn't remain deeply painful all-throughout ... instead , it throbs . It reminds you about the pain constantly ; like some sort of divine symphony .  
  
" Aya ... we lost him too ." She said softly .  
  
That was when he broke . The pale mask shattered into an wounded one and a tired cry rose from thin lips .  
  
Manx slid forward to comfort him . They now had something to share between them and Aya was no longer alone .  
  
Red to red .  
  
Red as the blood that flowed .  
  
Red as the dancing flames at night .  
  
Red as the deepest anonymous desires .  
  
And red as the heart that beats inside .  
  
He was no longer alone .  
  
Red to red .  
  
( What do you make of that ?? :P)  
  
- - -  
He had to get ready . He needed to strike soon .  
  
He could feel that the ~other~ wolf was near , and he was growing stronger as quickly as it had been gone a few weeks before .  
  
He needed weapons ; he needed firepower . After all , he couldn't very well storm them empty-handed .  
  
No ... they would underestimate him , thinking that his supposed 'death' would bring him to his senses and send him cowering at their feet instead of snapping at their heels . And they wouldn't expect him to find new resources quickly .  
  
But he wasn't , after all , a victim of conformity . And one thing that he learned in this world was to never underestimate the enemy .  
  
He stood up from his place under the tree where he spent the night and brushed off the morning's dew . He stretched slowly and efficiently , just as he had been taught to do in the old days , every tendon , every muscle , primed for sudden action .  
  
He snorted . :: the old days , huh ?::  
  
He yawned and shook his head violently , like a wild animal , trying to remove the dampness in his hair .  
  
He was fairly tall , with short-cropped hair so fair that it was almost white . Dark grey eyes seemed to represent stormy clouds ; ever changing , veiled , secretive . He had compensated with the five days of being buried underground by spending his days under the sun ; giving him a golden tan . Firm muscles rippled under the smooth skin .  
  
He rolled his head , noting with satisfaction the bones cracking in their place .  
  
He needed a plan - and a supplier .  
  
His mind calculated what he needed with startling efficiency .  
  
Semtex or C-4 for blasting the perimeter walls all solidly made of 8-inch concrete ; Nerve gas - for the guard dogs . Despite himself , he tried to avoid killing the animals ; after all , they had no choice but to obey their trainers . Fragmentation grenades for the guards . Timed bombs with special 10-minute pencil detonators ; enough to wipe out all the guards and send them to hell in agony .  
  
Oh yes , he knew his stuff - he was made that way . But where to find it ?  
  
The Bronx was full of illegal arms dealers ; but they'd also stab you in the back and take your money when you aren't looking .  
  
He'd heard of someone near the quay where an ex-mafia handler lived selling live ammunition ... maybe he could go there and *convince* him that the best thing to do under the circumstances is to sponsor him . After all , you don't see a renegade commando asking you for help everyday .  
  
A small smile spread on his handsome face.  
  
Yes ; that's exactly what he was going to do .  
  
But first , he needed transportation . He narrowed his eyes as he scanned the vicinity for vulnerable vehicles he could steal .  
  
Perfect .  
  
A motorcycle was parked near a coffee shop . It was exactly what he needed .  
  
Casually , he strolled to the café ; trying to avoid attention as much as he could in his bad boy outfit of leather and black. And before the owner knew what was happening , roared off in the motorcycle .  
  
The distraught man could do nothing but shout at the thief with his coffee in one hand , a donut in the other and his jaw agape .  
  
He felt the wind through his hair and whipping gently across his face and he smiled ; a smile identical to one who was just several miles away .  
  
He was free again , he was alive . And he had a means of revenge .  
His name , was Kyou ... Kyou Hidaka .  
  
Codename : Black Wolf .  
- - -  
R_M : You wondering what the heck the red prose/poem was about ? Well ... don't ask me ! I don't know either ! It's my alter ego talking !!! ( not that the prose/poem was any good ) (O_O);;; YESYESYESYES ! IT SUCKED ! I KNOW ! GIVE IT UP ! * bangs head on the wall * Out devil ! Demon away ! Garrrrrrghhhh O_O  
  
Readers : *creeped out and walk away muttering* Psycho ...  
  
R_M : Actually ; the part about Aya and Manx was supposed to be the latter part of the chapter ... and then I decided to reveal who the mystery character is by disclosing his name - so I made it the first part of the chapter to give room for all of your reactions.  
  
If you don't like him ; well ; sorry - he IS going to be a major part in the succeeding events so get ready for some pretty steamy action .  
  
Most of you like it when I uh . 'reveal' pasts of the characters ( I think ) ... bwahahahaha ! ( I couldn't keep it ; I just had to laugh out loud like that ^_~) well then , be prepared to be hit by some frigid "pasts" !  
  
* goes away laughing * BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!!!  
  
marsupial : * LOL at tantrum * My my , people are grouchy today (^.~) *hands her  
  
a picture of half-naked Ken soapy in the shower * (^__^);;; That should  
  
keep you quiet ne ? ^.~  
  
Mariki : I hope this chapter answers your questions . ^_^  
  
Suisei Lady Dragon : Thanks for saying that although I can't promise that I won't  
  
torture Ken anymore , after all , that's what makes the story uh ...  
  
exciting right ?  
  
Whisper Reilman : Yes , yes , I know what you mean . After all , she IS with Sean  
  
Devlin ( in the uh - relationship aspect ) and she's still drooling over our  
  
Kenken ( in the ... mmmh ... uh ... you know - kind of aspect ) (O_O);;;  
  
Be my guest to shi-ne her ; but not until the last chapter . I need her till  
  
then . ^.^ Thanks for the compliment . I really really really appreciate  
  
your loyalty ( did I use the right connotation ?) You have never failed to  
  
review (T_T) ARIGATOU . ^_~ * hands out pocky ( no , I've never  
  
tasted pocky ) and chocolate-covered Ken candies * (O.O) ooooooh ...  
  
yum yum .  
  
Misura : And I thought things were clearing up too ! ^_~ oh well , we just have to  
  
wait until the next yum-filled chapter ne ?  
  
R_M : ThaNKS for all the help you tried to volunteer . Don't worry ; I no longer have problems with Frontpage ( my BIG BIG BIG BIG PROBLEM now lies in making a site index and uploading it and getting rid of all the pesky pop-ups my host keeps on pestering me with ) (Y_Y) * Wails *  
  
Don't forget to review ! ^_^ 


	11. Old flames blaze hotter

Crawford had just finished briefing Schuldich .  
  
He knew the redhead was glad to be getting away from the Godawful asylum , and frankly , he too was a bit relieved .  
  
They had informed him yesterday that Schuldich was ready to be released after a day or so of observation and that he was about as back to normal as ever .  
  
Crawford snorted at that inwardly . Yeah , no thanks to you . He remembered thinking and then was horrified at how his mind worked . If it had been the old Crawford , he would have said : You bastards had no hand in accomplishing that ... you are ALL fired . Or better yet ; I'll call in the firing squad .  
  
Maybe he had been around Schuldich too much .  
  
His thoughts returned to Schuldich early yesterday morning asking ... no begging the empty room to give a name ; and he knew , Crawford knew that somehow memories of that old painful flame was filtering through .  
  
He couldn't have that . He couldn't stand Schuldich to self-destruct because of Ken Hidaka ... but there was nothing he could do to stop it anyway .  
  
Crawford removed his glasses and rubbed his temples wearily .  
  
He had never been so goddamned tired in his entire life ... on the other hand , he had never fucked up this BIG in his whole life .  
  
Just think ... one single mistake had brought everything he had built for years down into a pile of useless rubble . His team had disintegrated into a group of seriously damaged people .  
  
Nagi ... Nagi had withdrawn to himself , wandering through the streets without direction . Perhaps he was revisiting those places where he and Ken had gone ; perhaps ...  
  
Crawford of course had him under 24-hour surveillance , but not even a battalion of highly-trained operatives can reel him in - with his power and in his troubled state - maybe all he needed was an opportunity to calm down , to think things over - to mourn .  
  
Crawford himself was shouldering the guilt of making that mistake that caused the team to fracture ... and now , now he had this dilemma with Schuldich . It was difficult to explain .  
  
Before these events happened , Schuldich was just the smart-assed bastard who always insisted on pissing Crawford's brains out ; and then now ... he was beginning to regard Mastermind in a different aspect .  
  
It was mind-blowing goddamnit ! And he couldn't rationalize it in his mind at all .  
  
He wondered if Weiß was experiencing the same kind of troubles and the corner of his lips turned up in a bitter smirk .  
  
At least Weiß had no romantic involvements inside their group ... and then , a sudden thought inserted itself into his mind .  
  
Abyssinian ...  
  
Abyssinian was involved with Siberian ! That was what Schuldich wasn't telling him !  
  
Crawford almost laughed out loud in pleasure .  
  
Maybe Weiß were just as muddled as they were right now - or even more so . And one member of their team lost - they were defenseless !  
  
He staggered up the stairs , rubbing his aching temples with the intention of collapsing into bed , but as he passed through the long carpeted corridor were their rooms were lined up , he suddenly thought of Schuldich's return tomorrow . He paused in front of the redhead's closed room .  
  
Maybe he should clear things up for his arrival .  
  
He bit back an unwarranted chuckle .  
  
It struck him funny ; because he had never , never , never in his life cleaned after someone in the literal sense . But -  
  
Times were changing .  
  
He needed all the evidences of Siberian gone from Schuldich's sight .  
  
And no one was in the building to see his actions .  
  
Tentatively , he turned the knob and nudged the door ajar . The room had been unlived in for months , Schuldich had always been a slob in Crawford's opinion , but the mess quite recently had become welcome in his eyes . It reminded him that at one time ; their lives had been normal ; as normal as it could have been under the circumstances .  
  
Piles of dirty clothes lay on the floor , Schuldich's tangled with Siberian's , ::he refused to say his name now:: . Only his codename now existed ; no face , no importance .  
  
He picked up every single article of clothing belonging to him and bundled them in a neat pile on the floor .  
  
Steel-glinting eyes scanned the room efficiently for anything that could remotely bring back any memory of his existence .  
  
Nothing more ...  
  
The bed was unmade and untidy and Crawford was immediately there , folding and fluffing - when he noticed something peeking from under the large pillows .  
  
It was one of his cotton shirts ; one of those he would go around at night in .  
  
With a savage snarl , Crawford tossed it violently into the pile and angrily resumed in tidying up the bed .  
  
Soon he was through and he bundled up all the articles of clothing and other knickknacks that might remotely remind Schuldich of ...  
  
He turned to exit from the room , with the full intention of burning the items he had in his arms .  
  
" What the fucking hell are you doing in my goddamned room ?!" The sight of a furious Schuldich greeted him , his eyes blazing .  
  
Crawford was rarely caught unawares . In fact , it was only with Siberian that his abilities failed him ; but then here he was , caught bloody red- handed .  
  
Schuldich stormed in , glaring at the Schwarz leader as best as he could ( which was very good if I do say so myself ; even Crawford had to be a tad intimidated ) .  
  
He was dressed in a pair of jeans an unmarked white shirt and a pair of white sneakers .  
  
It was unlike the usual Schuldich .  
  
The redhead swiped the items off his arms without even glancing down at them .  
  
" Hey ! I didn't ask for you to snoop around my bloody things , so get the fucking hell outta my room Crawford !"  
  
" What hell are you doing here ?" the American demanded , hoping to mask his disconcertment at finding Mastermind back at the headquarters ahead of schedule .  
  
" Getting the fuck out of that stupid stable . I don't plan to be holed up there forever and get out looking like a donkey ."  
  
A slow smirk crept into the redhead's expression . " Are you going to tell me why you're fiddling with my stuff ?" A hint of malice was apparent in his thoughts .  
  
" I believe you know the answer to that one ."  
  
" And you believed right . I can hear your thoughts a mile away Brad . It's like a huge foghorn blaring thoughts right and left ." Of course , that wasn't exactly true . It was a known fact that Crawford never lets his guard down , unless he wanted to , that is .  
  
A momentary fear had crept up Crawford's spine , but he kept the thought in check . When he was assured that he had his mental barriers up ; he deigned to snap back at the resident telepath , " That's what you think ."  
  
" Go 'way Brad . I wanna sleep in a bed not on a cushioned floor for once . Get out ." Schuldich seemed weary , tired . It was yet another side that he wouldn't let show before he came along .  
  
Crawford turned shortly , firing a fiery glance the redhead's way before pushing his path towards his room . Perhaps he had pushed the other more than he thought and he might have reached the limit .  
  
Schuldich , though powerful in battle , was still human after all .  
  
With that thought in mind , he collapsed in bed , and his dreams were occupied by Mastermind and Siberian together ...  
- - -  
Schuldich sighed when the door closed behind the American .  
  
God was he tired ! He closed his eyes for a moment ; resting them .  
  
Of course he hadn't told Crawford how he had gotten away from the Estet Asylum .  
  
He had in fact , known that he was due out tomorrow , the psych idiot in the labgown told him as much . This morning he had gotten back his abilities and gotten a whiff of what the going-ons were and decided to try a jailbreak ; after all , it wasn't everyday you get an opportunity to do that .  
  
Anyway , it was a piece of cake . Estet ought to tighten up their security . He remembered thinking .  
  
When he had gotten to the headquarters , it was almost deserted except for the regular guards posted outside the building in plainclothes acting like inconspicuous bystanders . They hadn't stopped him from entering the building , knowing who he was and the fact they hadn't received orders to keep him out .  
  
When he had gone in , Farfarello and Nagi were nowhere in sight - Crawford had told him about what had happened to the teenager before but he wasn't sure whether he was ready to believe it .  
  
He fingered the soft materials in his hands , for the first time paying close attention to them .  
  
These weren't his clothes !  
  
Then whose were they ?  
  
Crawford's ?  
  
No ...  
  
The faint scent of pine still lingered in the soft cotton .  
  
Laughter echoed in his mind .  
  
Schuldich ...  
  
SAVE ME !!! A terrified shriek resonated in the inner depths of his being .  
  
No ...  
  
Who could it be ?!  
  
A panic-stricken Schuldich turned his green eyes inside the room , trying to find the source of that awful sound , probing , searching .  
  
He clutched at his ringing ears , hoping to keep the noise from penetrating his mind , but he couldn't .  
  
Grey eyes , as unpredictable as a storm .  
  
Silken brown locks , the scent of pine in the mountains .  
  
A beautiful , eager smile .  
  
Skin the color of honey .  
  
Schuldich's voice ...  
  
*Do blick gut genug nach essen , luv*  
  
* /You look good enough to eat , luv/  
  
[ Note : Chapter 25 of Confused Identity ]  
  
An affectionate chuckle filled Schuldich's ears , warming his heart in a way he did not know he had felt before but somehow sensed that he had .  
  
" What's your name ?!" He whispered at his thoughts , those vague memories that was starting to plague every waking moment .  
  
The answer came to him like magic .  
  
Ken Hidaka .  
- - -  
The sun was just setting , spreading brilliant red and orange rays on the horizon .  
  
" Perfect ." He mused .  
  
Under the cover of nightfall , it would be much easier for him to slip into the premises .  
  
He browsed through the files stored in his mind , trying to find the right one corresponding to his intended contact .  
  
Name : Roverto Torelli Age : 46 Record : 4 murder accounts 2 accounts frustrated murder 8 accounts rape Illegal possession and retailing of firearms Drug peddling  
  
The files are a bit outdated . He hasn't been allowed near a computer for a few months and Torelli's record might have gone up .  
  
It was a common wonder how men like those were allowed to be at large ; but of course it was no mystery .  
  
Money was the ultimate answer to all potential problems ; how twisted can the world get ?  
  
Of course , the way he had been trained , he could do it with the sun blazing high above his head . But he saw no reason to complain now that it was easier for him , it might prove to be a problem if the contact was to be found dead the next morning by the NYPD .  
  
On second thought , make that a when .  
  
He slipped the leather gloves on .  
  
No fingerprints .  
  
No footprints .  
  
No possible DNA samples .  
  
No trace .  
  
No trace .  
  
No trace .  
  
No trace .  
  
No trace .  
  
No trace .  
  
No trace .  
  
No trace .  
  
The phrases echoed in his mind as he observed the large apartment covertly .  
  
Darkness had fallen .  
  
No trace .  
  
****  
  
The target had gone for dinner . He obviously didn't like cooking and had no one to do the dirty work for him .  
  
Kyou clucked his tongue in mock sympathy . Poor man . No one to love him .  
  
He had tailed the ex-Mafia to a large Italian restaurant in the upper class district and watched as the man met several of his fellow business suit- clad men and ate their pre-ordered dinners , apparently discussing pressing 'business' .  
  
But the conversation took a turn for the worse and it seemed as an argument scaled and heated until his target stormed out of the establishment , throwing a wad of uncounted bills on the table and screeched off in his modest car .  
  
The Italian was too agitated to notice his presence , but even if he wasn't , motorcycle blended with the onslaught of rush hour traffic perfectly and the man barely even noticed the tail even after he entered his complex .  
  
Piece of cake ...  
  
Kyou watched the silhouette of the sole occupant as the Torelli opened all the lights in his house .  
  
The old coot was afraid of the dark eh ? I'll give him something worthwhile to fear .  
  
Kyou was ready .  
  
Like a shadow , he melted into the darkness . Not making a sound , not showing his presence .  
  
Torelli emerged from the shower in the third floor of his apartment clad in a bathrobe when he was surprised by a lone figure standing by his bed .  
  
Panicked eyes glance at the balcony door , which was open .  
  
But it was impossible !  
  
How could a man possibly scale a wall that slick ??  
  
" What do you want ?" His voice was laced with panic as his frantic eyes darted to find a means of escape .  
  
Kyou grinned and sat comfortably at the edge of the bed , his legs stretched amply before him . " Not much ."  
  
Torelli seemed to consider his options .  
  
The stranger did not seem to be armed , nor were there any weapons close by him . He , on the other hand had hidden many of his deadly armaments around the house in case anything like this situation happened , and even beside the door on the mahogany dresser behind the vase was a Beretta with a fully loaded clip .  
  
His hand inched slowly towards it , trying to occupy the intruder with his seemingly over nervous reaction .  
  
" I'll give you anything you want ! Just don't try to hurt me !" He shuffled nearer to the dresser on the pretense of uneasiness , his hand slowly sliding to where the Beretta was concealed .  
  
The white-haired stranger shook his head disapprovingly , his lips shaped into a childish pout . " I wouldn't do that if I were you . I could kill you right now if you insist on provoking me."  
  
" How ? Get out of my house !" The Italian's anger boiled over and his hand whipped the gun at the interloper .  
  
The stranger looked at him calmly , almost casually . Replying simply . " With my bare hands of course ." Before his world erupted in a blaze of light , licking every particle of his existence in a wildfire of blue and purple , the hottest kind of flame .  
  
The heat was unbearable , searing and biting and tearing every fiber , until only a mound of loose ashes remained of what had been the one of the most feared Mafia members of his time .  
  
The stranger snorted , and rolled his eyes in utter annoyance .  
  
Enemies these days no longer presented much of a challenge .  
  
" I told you not to do that ." He muttered at Torelli's remains before turning his back and heading down the stairs .  
  
The weapons were downstairs he knew , encased in various glass cases for viewing .  
  
The late Torelli prided himself for having one of the largest arms collections in North America and as a consequence had ordered special cases for the arms to make his apartment into a sort-of museum .  
  
It was there that Kyou Hidaka found the supplies he needed for the attack , he stuffed them all inside a large nondescript bag before setting fire to the whole apartment building as he sang to himself his favorite nursery rhyme ... the only one he knew .  
  
" Pop ! goes the weasel ..."  
  
*****  
  
Somewhere across the country , a sleeping figure sat up suddenly on the bed .  
  
Ken Hidaka turned frantic grey eyes at the burning blankets on top of him ; his lips letting out a frightened gasp .  
  
Soon , the bed had turned into a blazing inferno and it all came from his arm .  
  
The fire alarm had started to shriek deafeningly , serving to increase his panic .  
  
A thin wail issued from trembling lips as Suzume , flanked by 4 armed sentries converged into the room .  
  
- - -  
  
R_M : Whew ! Was that long or what ?!?! Ø_O;;; *wipes sweat off her brow* darn ! That got me tired ! It took me almost a whole day to think about that ! 9 pages ! wow ! And it's not even nearing the end of the story yet !!! whoooo !  
  
( No , I don't like posting long chapters but am doing it as a prize for all the nice people out there who DO review ! Arigatou minna !) Although I'm not exactly delighted with the turnout for last chapter ... //(Y_Y)\\  
  
Suisei Lady Dragon : Whoa ! Was I surprised to see that long review ! ^__^ (Ah , but I like getting long reviews ) Ah ... but you see , things were exactly fated to turn out that way ... (unless you'd like Schuldich to go with Crawford - fine by me) Well ... what do you think of that Kyou- wickedness here ? Is he kawaii or is he as badass as you thought him first to be ? Drop a line so I can try to improve his character . (^_~) Well ... As for Aya and Manx ... together ... ? ... ermh ... BLECH !!! it's not only odd ... it's downright bizarre ! and (eww...) CATASTROPHIC !  
  
Misura : Yesyes ... Ken's twin brother + Aya = nothing good ? B U T Ken's twin brother + Schuldich = Something WORSE ...(insert manic laugh here) BWAHAHAHA ... Lesse ne ? (Ò____Ó) *background music : I am evil*  
  
I bet I got you all gagging and shuddering in despair at Crawford and Schuldich ne ? ^__~ *LOL*  
  
I think this is the very first time I have let out three scenes in a single post ! That should warrant some praise ne ? *winks and listens for forced applause*  
  
You should know what's supposed to happen !  
  
R_E_V_I_E_W onegai !  
  
p.s.  
  
By the way , I can't believe I read the Gluhen spoilers in a blog today ! Waaaah ! MY Kenken is not deranged !!! ( hmmph , I had no idea he was psycho ... and I was planning to write a fic about that too ... before I came across that blood tidbit of information ! T_T ) I might do that too - if I had the time [ or if someone demanded it from me ^_~ ] *nudge nudge*  
  
Would anyone know where to find the full versions of the Gluhen OP and ED and where to find other Weiss-related mp3's ?  
  
Ohh man is Ken sechsaaaay or whaaaaat ! *droolz* ö_Ö 


	12. Frantic delusions

R_M : Wow ! Another very long chapter ! 5 Pages is _whew_ ! Anyway , let's start .

† † †

_Flight to Hades _

_Cerberus guards the stony cave ._

_Do not stop , be not afraid ._

_The Cyclopes pause and stare ,_

_As specters rise from the grave ;_

_One-eyed monsters filled with pain ._

_Do not look back at where you've lain ._

_The Harpies crossly shriek and scream_

_As they wield their brass-veiled claws so grim ._

_Do not stop , be not afraid ._

_For you are welcomed to the fearsome dream …_

_Welcomed to the magnificent kingdom interim_

_Hark  ye ! Do not stop , be not afraid ! _

_For no one shall come to your desp'rate aid_

_Wild-eyed spirits hiss and glare ,_

_As blithe Persephone weeps so fair ._

_Hold your breath ; your memories lost ,_

_But do not look back at any cost ._

_Eternal agony for thee awaits -_

For soon shall your mortal bliss abate . 

_Shades fade to mist in the land of death ;_

_Silence crushed by cries of despair ._

_No escapes from the venomous breath,_

_Sparking fires kindled in midnight air . _

_But do not stop , be not afraid ;_

_Because this is the time your life is weighed ._

**Hades : Both the 'heaven and hell' in Greek mythology as well as the god of   
death .**

**Cerberus : The three-headed dog that ordered to guard the gates realm of the dead **

**Cyclopes      : The one-eyed monsters that helped Zeus overthrow Chronos .**

**Harpies        : The three savage sisters ( half-woman and half-everything else ) that Hades employs to torture shades . **

**Persephone : Demeter's daughter whom Hades kidnapped to be his bride .**

**Shades         : Spirits .**

† † †

Crawford thought that they should start on working on the mission now . 

It was one of the most important missions they had been given , though he could not exactly discern _why_ .

Their orders were just to find and kill one man . _One_ single man . 

And Estet was willing to ship them off to the United States just to do that . Had they just turned into some cheap , common hired guns to jump up like dogs whenever an order was given ?

But no ... not even Estet dared to take advantage of Schwarz like that . 

He wondered what the importance of the target is to the organization . He must be singularly vital to them , or they wouldn't waste Schwarz's valuable time hunting for a rogue in a country they don't even know . 

He received the order a week before but no particulars were divulged . He was due to receive them today in a drop-off at the park . 

He remembered the last drop-off at the park and shook his head at the memory of the child smiling up at him with his front tooth missing and turning out to be the contact . 

The world was getting to be more and more twisted with every turn on its skewed axis ... 

" Mister !" 

He looked down to find a five-year old girl looking up at him with a friendly smile . 

" Would you like to play ?" 

He gave a wan smile and shook his head . " Perhaps you'd like to read the papers there ?" She pointed at a folder on the bench side before skipping away , giggling happily . 

A woman scolded the child . " Mika ! Don't talk to strangers !" 

The child's protests barely registered into his mind as Crawford slowly pored over the contents of the folder . " But mama ! He looks like a nice man !" the child said , pouting . 

A an enlarged picture greeted him as he flipped open the folder cover ... and a name ... a name he had never expected ... 

Kyou Hidaka Project Black Ookami 

Somehow ; he _had_ to keep their target's identity from his team ... or there will be HELL to pay .

And he needed Prodigy _now_ .

† † † 

Nagi wandered through the streets , cold , lonely and unsure . 

What was going to happen now ? 

He no longer had a reason to survive and yet , he didn't have enough courage to take his life . 

What a divine irony it was .

To want something , and yet to be able to do nothing about it .  

The sky was streaked with gray , as the clouds threatened to spill cold sheets of water onto the streets . Fires were roaring in fireplaces all over the city ; only the unfortunate remained vulnerable to the forces of nature . 

Soon , the clip-clopping of raindrops on metal and pavement drowned all other sounds of the city . Not a soul was in sight .

The streetlights feebly struggled to filter through the thick sheets of rain , offering a meager victory by the weak glow that surrounded him , making his bleak world surreal in its stark reality . 

Only Nagi . 

And his followers - who had donned identical black raincoats with similar umbrellas raised over their heads . A black Estet-owned car crawled along with them .

- At least the pain was there to keep him company , and he was contented to relive all the memories of the past – with Ken .

With Ken ... 

He hadn't eaten for days and his body showed it . 

Frail and fragile like expensive china , he was near his breaking point .

He had wasted away to almost nothing ; to just a pale spectre gliding aimlessly in the streets . 

Even the homeless shied away from him ... because they were afraid of the large  , burly men who were trailing him and whom made no attempt to disguise themselves as commoners . 

He finally realized that his mindless wandering had brought him to a large bridge suspended over the stormy lake below it . The overpass connected two separate landmasses and as of the moment , very few cars were passing through due to the torrential rain pouring down in sheets . 

The men in fact , realized this as well with an obvious unease . _What is he planning to do ? _It was the question that lingered quite gloomily in their mind . 

Their eyes sought the others constantly , the unformed question so clearly reflected .

His thoughts constantly plagued him .

The guilt of being so selfish . 

He knew Ken had loved him . Even as a brother ... Ken had loved him .

But he was selfish . He wanted Ken to love him as he loved Schuldich . As he had loved Abyssinian .

Perhaps it was Nagi's fault that Ken destroyed himself. 

He tore Ken in half , knowing that he was too good to allow Nagi to suffer in his jealousy . 

Why hadn't he been contented ? 

Why ? 

But still , even until now ... it tore Nagi apart that Ken had loved others more than he had ever loved him . 

_Did I ? Did I love them more than I loved you , Nagi ? If you believe that , then I guess you didn't deserve me after all . _

Oh why had he been so selfish ??

Bitter tears slid down his pale cheeks , intermingling with the icy raindrops . 

But now he needed to stop crying .

Ken wouldn't have wanted him to mourn his life away !

Nagi stared calmly at the raging waters . 

_He finally knew what to do . _

All those nights spent straying alone made him comprehend what he had been avoiding since Ken's death . 

And now he was facing his fears . The bitter cold and his reflections had led him to what destiny had lured him to . 

He  had at last found the courage in this cold night to face the hooded phantom .

Yes . He finally knew what he should do .

Ken's face stared up at him , smiling ; laughing , calling his name , beckoning him to come closer .

_Nagi !_

He could never resist those smiling grey eyes , nor could he take his eyes off that charming smile . 

How wonderful to see him smiling again ! 

To see him happy as Nagi imagined they both should be in each other's arms . 

Safe ... 

Protected ...

Loved ...

He knew what he should do to be able to feel that comfort – that warmth in Ken's strong arms holding him tightly , swathing him in a warm cocoon of affection . 

Pale trembling fingers clutched at the cold railing of the maroon-coloured bridge . Nagi was finally ready to face his fears . 

One hand clutched at the silver coin pendant engraved with Ken's name . It was supposed to be his gift on his birthday .

_Too late ._

He hefted himself over the rails and stood at the other side , the wind blasting cruelly against him .

_Too late . _

He was free .

_Much , much too late ._

Ken was waiting for him for him on the other side of the river . 

The God of Death was waiting for him ; and so was his beloved . 

Suddenly , the cold night no longer existed – only a peaceful warmth . 

Suddenly , the rain was no longer harsh .

Suddenly , he could Ken's melodious hear laughter in the air .

" Sir ! He's going to jump off the bridge !!!" 

The frantic bodyguards had started shouting into their radios and stomping their feet in a mad frenzy .

All wanting to stop Nagi from his madness ... all lacking the courage to do so . They knew they were no match against his powers , even if they tried to keep him from doing what he intended to do . 

Perhaps that was his destiny ... and that they were meant to be powerless to hinder him . 

Perhaps it was the time the three Fates decided to cut the silken thread of his life ...

Charon was waiting by the river Styx to carry his soul to Hades ; and he had the fare to reach it . 

**Charon :** The mythical ferryman who rows the boat from one side of the river to the other . A fare is needed for him to allow you ; which is why dead were buried with a silver coin in their mouth . If the shade does not have the fair , it is forced to swim across the river . 

**Styx :** The river of the dead which you need to cross in order to reach Hades . It is also the river of memory ; if you swim across it , all your recollections will be lost . 

† † †

R_M : SOOOOOOO ... there you go ! _*ducks from the path of flying chairs , soaring tables , and the rapid fire of several homemade machine guns*_ Ok ok . I take it you're not too happy with the cliffhanger I left you with ! 

O_O;;;;

I thank you all for the reviews of last chapter . 

Mariki : Yes , yes . I actually know what you mean ... but I still couldn't accept that Ken is deranged in Gluhen ! I mean sure he's kinda ... uh whacko in the OAV but ... T_T _*weeps*_ and yes , they ARE a cute couple in my humble opinion . ^_~

Suisei_Lady_Dragon : Wow ! And I mean WOW ! You did that ?! To tell you the truth I was _awed_ by the length of your review , and was WAAAAAY flattered that you bothered to do that among other things . ^_^ The fact that you recorded all the important facts was wow-able(?) _*lol at the term*_ enough . And I DO agree with you on both ... rather on _all_ points that we miss a lot of important details on the first read , and that Kyou was just mistreated and that he IS scrumptious in all means – though I will never accept that he is _more_ glompalicious that Ken . Beware of what you wish for though , because asking for a lot of chapters is well ... you'll see . Thanks for the warning , I will be more careful of things from now on . I pretty much should beware coz' you're analyzing my fic . _*lol*_ Go ahead with the long reviews and fire on with the questions . I will answer them if I can but your last question – well , you'll just have to see .

Misura : Yes ! So am I ! And it IS sweet of him to clean Schu's room , although we all know it was from purely selfish reasons ( that he wanted Schuldich for himself and that he didn't want the redhead to remember Ken )

Rene_Hidaka : Welcome to the family ! ^_~ Arigatou ! _*bows*_

Whisper_Reilman : You cracked me up with that Schu's clues bit ! You really did ! _*lol*_ Thanks for the compliment ^.^ although Kyou's not exactly a baka considering that he's a ... 

R_M : (whoops ! I nearly told you the secret) _*shuts up now and hides in a corner where she's in no position to tell secrets*_

I don't think I need to beg you to review from here on in 'ne ? 

But still ... 

I've grown used to begging for reviews ... 

So ... 

Review onegai !

p.s. What do you think of the weird poem ? I just wrote it because I wanted to insinuate the Greek Mythology - because in their world ; Hades is a place of punishment to those who have been evil , as well as a place of reward for those who have been good in their lives . ( I love Greek mythology – in fact , mythology in general ) 

Just a thought .

Review ! ^_~


	13. Looking death in the eye

R_M : There ... I didn't dare to keep you waiting for long .

† † † 

His body shook with anticipation at the plunging depth in front of him .

Nagi was ready to die . 

He pried his fingers off the bar with frightful eagerness , feeling a sort of exhilaration at the freedom . He was finally doing something that _he_ wanted ... something that no one else dictated . 

_He was his own person again !_

_And soon ... soon Ken was going to wrap his arms around him and tell him that everything is going to be alright . Just like he used to do an eon before ._

_Everything was going to be perfect ._

Before long , he was plummeting towards the icy waters , every drop of blood streaming through his veins screamed for liberation ; his whole being throbbed with joy at being free again – at being whole .

The waves fought for claim , thrusting up , splashing towards the new prey until at last , Nagi hit the frigid waters with a crushing blow . 

The waters folded over him like a mountain of glacial blankets , and he was sinking deep ... deep ... into the darkness ... into oblivion ...

_Finally ._

_It was over ._

_Wait for me ... Ken ._

And the darkness closed in over him .

_Peace at last ._

† † †

R_M : This is a super duper short chapter ne ? Oh well . Thanks for all the great reviews I got from the last chapter . I hope you guys will continue supporting this fic until the very end . 

I know I will get flames for killing Nagi ! 

But ...

But ...

But ... 

Well you see ... _*fidgets*_

As I was saying ... 

What I mean is ... 

It ain't over till it's over !

Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha !!! 

† † † 

Suddenly , warm fingers clutched at his arm and tugged him violently upwards .

Nagi was jerked out of his frosty haven by an invading presence and he was slowly rising up to the surface .

His eyes spasmed painfully as he tried to make out who his unwelcome saviour was . 

He tried to struggle , but in vain . 

He tried to pry the firm grip loose so that he could return to his peace , but the stranger would not let him go .

He tried to shout his protest , tried to scream , but only a stream of bubbles emitted from his strangled lips . 

He was choking ! 

Choking ! 

He longed to go back to his peaceful slumber just mere moments ago , but it was too late ! 

They had already broken the surface as the frantic wailing of an ambulance shattered the night's silence . 

Wheeee – ooooow – wheee – ooooow – wheee – oooow 

Each sound sliced through his consciousness like a sharp knife .

His dazed eyes tried to search through the thick haze as the rain continued to drum mercilessly against his skull , making his ears ring with a multitude of sounds . 

_Who ... is ?_

_Who ... ?_

He couldn't see through the torrents of raindrops . He couldn't see through the splashing waves . 

The identity of his saviour remained an enigma ...

But the whispered words followed him to his dreams . " _It's gonna be okay kid . Everything's gonna be alright ."_

_Finally ... _

_Ken had rescued him from danger ..._

_... just like he used to do an eternity ago ._

_Welcome , darkness . Ken is waiting in my dreams ._

† † †

Schuldich stared at the unconscious boy in his arms as they bobbed up and down the surface of the violent waters . 

He was having difficulty keeping both of them afloat since his clothes had been so clogged with water that it was dragging him down .

He made a mental note to himself in case anything like this ever happened again – Never wear jeans while there's a suicidal telekinetic on the loose anywhere near a bridge or a body of water . 

He swung an arm forward and stroked with difficulty towards the shore where some of the men were waiting with the car . Above them , on the bridge , an ambulance screeched with the city's personnel trying to negotiate their way down to the edge of the lake but the mud and the slick ground made it hard for them to go there without losing someone in the process . 

Schuldich almost sighed in relief when he felt the soft mud under his feet , and when the burly men took the deadweight from his numb fingers .

He swiped the sodden filaments of his fiery hair from his face as he wrung his utterly ruined silk shirt . 

" God , that kid is heavy !" He muttered as he trudged wearily towards the unmarked car . 

" ... and you ! You and your men are absolutely useless !" He shouted , pointing at the head of the guards with a dripping finger .

_* It wasn't our fault the dumb kid jumped .*_

The large man stared at him submissively , trying to placate the redhead with an obedient expression while all the while reasoning to himself that it wasn't their fault .

" But it was your job to keep him_ alive _! Remember mister ; I can actually read minds and right now , I am not happy the way yours works . Sod off . You're fired ."

Then , his cellphone rang at that moment and one of the men handed him the contraption which he flipped open . " Schuldich ." 

" How is he ?" Crawford's detached voice greeted him . 

" Your hired muscle is very , very disappointing , Bradley . They stood there and gaped while the little sucker was drowning . I even had to jump on in after the kid ."

He was handed a towel which he utilized conscientiously , working up on his precious hair .

" I wasn't asking about the guards . I am very much aware that you were going to do what you're supposed to ; that's why I sent you there . *How*is*Prodigy* ?"

" And aren't you aware of how he is since you're all powerful and all knowing ?" Schuldich bit back sarcastically . " Why don't you come here and see for yourself you icy sonuvabitch ." Schuldich snapped the phone close and entered the waiting car before it zoomed off towards the highway . 

† † † 

Crawford looked at the phone in his hands and sighed as he replaced it back on the hook .

Ever since Schuldich came back from the asylum , they had done nothing but bicker . 

Apparently , the redhead was fully aware of his intentions – or if not ; suspected something when he caught Crawford red-handedly poking inside his room . 

Crawford's pride hadn't allowed him to try and explain and he kept himself aloof as his defense . 

It seemed like Schuldich was dead bent on reliving all the memories he had with Siberian despite the obvious pain it was causing him , spending _hours_ at a time in Ken's room rummaging through his things and gazing at them tenderly . 

It drove Crawford mad ! So he , with a secret intention of keeping Schuldich occupied with other things , sent him to follow Nagi throughout the city.

The fact that Nagi attempted suicide today made everything easier to handle as terrible as that may sound . Now they didn't have to use brute force to bring back Prodigy , knowing that to try and do so would bring a lot of casualties . 

With Nagi unconscious , he was back in their hands once more . 

Farfarello had already arrived the other day after a month of rehabilitation and was as good as new ; and finally , Schwarz was whole again , in a sense ... that is .

Now the problem lay with keeping Nagi from falling apart . 

Crawford intertwined his fingers in a sort of prayer-like manner , resting his on them as he watched the dancing lights inside the mission room .

_The question is , how should I deal with him ?_

† † †

R_M : Got you fooled there didn't I ? _*LoL and hides her hair in terror if anyone decides to grab it*_ Nagi couldn't very well die ! After all , I gave him my very first comprehensive 'look' last chapter , as Misura had mentioned . ( Thanks for pointing that out )

Now I know who actually reads my lil' notes at the end ne ? _*wide grin*_

Need I say more ?

RnR please ! ( my goal is to reach more than a hundred reviews by the end of the last chapter like you guys gave me in Confused Identity ... that'll make me ecstatic )

**Misura :** Hmmm ... I'm not sure about that ; although it does makes sense from an angle . As a matter of fact Yohji and Omi don't (have strong feelings for him) and Farf doesn't (the fact that he likes watching Ken sleep to hurt God doesn't count)

**Rene_Hidaka :** Arigatou !

**Suisei_Lady_Dragon  :** Betcha you're glad Schu was there ne ? He did SOMETHING at LAST ! I'm not pretty sure about Omi and Yohji , they're not exactly (sorry) important in this story ... but I'll try to find them something to do ne ? And yes , as a matter of fact , I'm looking forward to that too . (although I still don't have the right inspiration to write it)

**Mariki :** *LoL* It is isn't it ? I particularly like Medusa's story because it's so sad , and just brings to your attention how unfair life is . Schu's here ... I'm not ready to show Ken just yet .

Am going to take a vacation this week so I probably won't be able to post anything till Monday or maybe later . 

Anyway , I uh ... made another saga with a BxKxA thing ; I really really hope that people will like it . 

It's called **_"Cry of the captive"_**

It's set in the WWII Nazi uh ... era .

In fact , I'm gonna post the teaser chapter with this . 

Please please please review .


	14. Dreams of the past

**R_M : Ah ,yes ! The 14th chapter of D.D. **

I warn you ... this is going to be a might y strange chappy ...

Just needed to write something ... 

I know it's lame . So go ahead and tell me what you think . 

This goes out to _Whisper_Reilman_ ; for your nifty suggestion of a Farfie POV . I do listen to suggestions ne ?  (^.^);;

† † †

Something was different .

It seemed like the world took a new atmosphere ... and it wasn't exactly for the better . 

Farfarello had just returned from one month's seclusion and  the world had taken a whole new twist – Schu was just like him !

It was funny how they thought he was different ; that he wasn't like them ... that he didn't think coherently ... that just because he hated God and liked seeing blood , he was deranged ... but they were wrong .

He saw things more clearly than they could ever imagine . 

He knew this was going to happen – it was just a matter of time before Schuldich became like him . And now he would understand what it was like to see the world from jaded eyes and why he hated God so much .

You see , God was just like a child . 

He takes the things you really love without asking ; and He doesn't care if you get sad or angry at Him .

He's so selfish – He doesn't give a damn about other people's feelings ... He just filches everything He wants regardless of all the people He could hurt . 

That's what He did with him , with Schuldich ... Nagi ... even Crawford suffered from His selfishness . 

Farfarello liked Ken . 

He liked Ken because in a way , he could see himself in the boy . He was just like Ken before ... before God took away his happiness . 

... before He took away his life ... 

... his love ... 

He watched Crawford and Schuldich fighting in the den , with Nagi lying unconscious on the couch between them and suddenly he felt sorry for all of them .

What a screwed up team they've become .

Just because ...

Because God took away their happiness ...

Just like He did with Farfarello .

And now He was trying to steal from all of them by taking Ken . 

How petty .

Oh , he knew all of His tricks . He pretends to give you everything you want , and while your in the midst of your bliss , he takes the cause of it just like that . \

He likes watching people suffer . It was his divine pleasure .

Well , God was going to pay . 

He was going to pay for everything . 

Soon .

† † †

He had been having dreams lately .

Strange dreams .

In a way , they were nightmares , for he always woke up terrified and heartbroken for some unknown reason . 

At first , he saw only details , like short movies flashing before his eyes . 

But then ... 

They grew longer and longer until everything became a twisted fairytale where he was unable to escape . 

And the story grew longer and longer ; with no end , and seemingly no direction .

But tonight ... 

Tonight , the picture was revealed .

At first it started out like any normal dream ; with laughter and sunlight and warmth – but everything changed so quickly . 

The cheerful blue sky slowly turned to orange , then green , and then red as black clouds gathered across the horizon swirling into a large writhing mass ; like wolves springing to bay . 

The air was filled with screaming , wailing and howling from an invisible source ; as if the earth had just decided to unleash its anguish , and he was the only audience destined to hear . 

Suddenly , drops fell from the haze and fell on his face . 

It smelled like copper . 

It was ...

... red ...

_blood_

The scarlet drops came furiously , sheets of red poured and the pool gathering at his feet started to rise , higher and higher , gathering around his ankles , soaking his pants , clinging to his skin like eerie oil .

He needed to find a way to escape ! 

But there was no way ... the whole world was drowning in a waves of blood !

It rose higher and higher , until he had to raise his head for air , and suddenly he was enveloped in a in a tide of warm liquid . 

He remembered vaguely a memory , too hazy to grasp , but subsisted enough to haunt him .

A distant recollection of some happy past lost in death and anguish and woe .

A past where there was love great enough to overcome almost anything .

A time when he wasn't trapped in the gilded cage in which he knew he existed .

Everything spun in his head crazily … like a gathering twister of thoughts breaking out , exploding .

Finally , everything stopped .

No more rain . No more screams .

The blood was gone , as were the sinister clouds and the scarlet beams of light filtering from the sky .  

                                      Nothing                                                                           

                                       but

silence

Only silence -

- and white flakes pouring from the black clouds .

It was snowing when he ...

_... died ..._

The wind swept over him , stroking his face , his body , his soul ; carrying a whisper with it . 

_" Where are you mein lieb ? I'm still waiting for you _." 

A gentle voice caressed his soul , and lulled him to peacefulness . Eyes so green that you could almost lose yourself in the glimmering depths , as if you were looking from above a deep emerald ocean in the middle of nowhere .

_" Yes . I love you Ken Hidaka ; you're the only person I could ever loved after I lost everything and everyone who ever mattered to me . My sister is gone , Ken , will you desert me too ?"_  Shining mauve eyes filled with glimmering pain and brimming love. What poet could have such beautiful , beautiful eyes ?!

And his voice was so sweet , so gentle , so reassuring . When he heard that voice , it made him feel safe once more ...

_Schwarz and Weiß ... Black and white ? _

_Death and revenge  ._

_So many random thoughts that he couldn't decipher , so many obscure memories . _

_Schuldig  ..._

_Guilty ? _

_Aya ..._

_What did those words mean ?!_

_He didn't understand anything anymore ._

_Everything was just a huge puzzle that no one could ever disentangle ._

_" I love you Ken ..."_

_                    "Ai shiteru ..."_

_                                                  "Don't leave me , mein lieb ..."_

_                                                                      "Come back ... come back to me"_

His heart was painful , an invisible hand was clutching his core with an irrepressible fury . 

He was going to die !

Without a memory of his past .

With no initiative for the present .

And ... no hope ... for the future . 

And then , amidst a raging fire swirling around him like a living tornado of flames , and amidst the moaning of the wind ; 

He would find himself looking at two men ; so different ...

And yet ...

So alike ... 

_... Aya ... _

_and _

_... Schuldich …_

The sources of all his pain .

Spectres from his past .

Somehow , he knew with intermingling pain and happiness ...

They were ... going to ... find him ... 

At last ... the puzzle was whole . 

And he knew , he just knew that somehow , some time , somewhere , he had been loved .

† † †

**R_M :** YEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS ! Ken finally rememberrrrrrs !!!! Bwahahahahaha !

I don't know where the reviews are ... sorry . Will thanks you guys later . 

Please please review , because I'm running low on morale . And the muses have stopped singing .

Review onegai ! ^.^


	15. Wolf's broken lair

R_M : Wow this is long ! ^^,

Suisei Lady Dragon : Be careful for what you wish for ... you just might get it ! And no , that wasn't a threat , uhhmmm ... just something to remind you that if it sucks ... uh ... well , so it sucks ... and I wash my hands off it (is that possible ? for an author to disown his or her own work ?) 

_* Strange looks from the audience*_

R_M : O_O;;; Uh , sorry . That was just sleeplessness talking . 

† † †

He could hear the birds chirping cheerfully outside and he wondered to himself ; _Where am I ?_

Slowly , he opened his haze-filled brown eyes and realized that he had been deposited in his room , snug amidst the thick covers and the soft pillows . 

Strangely enough , now that he realized that he was safe , and warm , and comfortable , he felt a deep sadness so incomparable to what seemed like mere trifles that troubled his already disturbed existence ... 

Because , in having the best things , in being secure and contented as he had never been in his childhood , he is reminded of the most significant person who had left a deep footprint on his heart . 

And though he was the same reason Nagi had been tormented by his parents over their obsession with him , he was also the reason why Nagi felt safe and strong. 

God ! The tales he could tell ! 

If only someone knew the _terror_ he felt whenever a mission was coming , whenever he had to dwell on the fact that they would face each other once more , both intending to kill the other in a battlefield not meant for them .

He sat up slowly , the warm comforter sliding from its snug position around his shoulders as he surveyed the room with a sad look . 

He was almost unhappy that Schuldich had saved him in time , but he realized that the big shock of nearly losing his life knocked him quite well into his senses . 

It still hurt to remember everything that had happened the past year , and yet , he felt that he had grown stronger now that he was given another chance ... Ken after all , had taught him the most valuable lesson in life , and he had clung to it as faithfully as he had loved him from afar .

Never give up , I'll always be close . 

He had said that just before they parted on that day , long ago ... and perhaps it was true . Perhaps Ken was indeed watching him from wherever he was .

But ... would – could _he_ ever forgive Nagi ? 

Never give up , I'll always be close .

Maybe he'll turn his life around after all ... 

And now he knew exactly what he had to do ...

Thank you Ken ... I won't give up .

Saying a silent prayer , he went into the bathroom , his thoughts spinning a dangerous thread in his mind . 

† † †

Ken woke up suddenly from his disturbed sleep .

His pillow was damp from tears and sweat that had fallen during the short night .

He coughed softly – he was a bit  feeling cold today . 

Maybe he was running a fever . But he didn't know how to tell .

He desperately wanted ... craved for a hot bath , but Suzume had not yet come and she wouldn't permit him to take one all by himself .

Outside , the rain drizzled softly , pattering on the roof .

Aya .

Schuldich . 

Who were they ?

Suzume quietly came into the room , bringing breakfast and some medicine  and placing them on the bedside table . 

Apparently , he HAD been running a high fever last night and had a fit of and she came in frequently to check his fever . She had been alarmed to hear him whispering Abyssinian and Mastermind's names as he tossed and turned but decided to say nothing about it . 

As she sat down on the bed beside him , her weight making an impression on the soft bed as the weight shifted ; he fell into her arms , sobbing softly like a small child having nightmares of monsters and goblins . 

Oh Ken ...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Schuldich stirred from his sleep, more tired than ever . His jade eyes blinked off the sleep and he yawned quietly as he stretched his lithe body awake .

The sunlight was particularly dull this morning , and he wondered why . 

Padding slowly to the window  he noted the rain clouds gathering and he rubbed his cheek . 

_The news hadn't mentioned anything about rain today ._ He thought , closing his jade eyes and absorbing the quietness of the morning . 

_" Where are you mein lieb ? I'm still waiting for you _." His gentle laugh replayed over and over in his mind .

" Guten morgen , mein lieb ." 

He whispered softly , sadly smiling at the happy picture of them together at the park that he had placed on the bedside table . " I hope you are having a fine day ." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Aya raised his tired eyes from the plants he was watering and for some unknown reason watched the grey clouds forming outside .

The shop was empty this morning because of the dismal weather , and both Omi and Yohji were at the backroom doing the inventory . 

He sighed softly as he pressed his nose against the cold glass , making a soft cloud on the shop door . 

The rain had already started to fall, making delicate trails on the glassy surface 

God ! He missed him so much . His heart bled every single time he remembered his face , his laugh , his voice ...

It was so difficult ... not being able to blame anyone but himself . 

Because it _was_ his fault ... for being so careless ... for allowing him to be stolen ...

" I love you Ken Hidaka ..."

† † †

Suzume clasped her hands together in almost prayerful gesture as she watched her special patient tossing and turning on the bed . _Oh God ... he's starting to remember everything ! _

Ken's fever had risen to a frantic crescendo the night before and the doctor had said that he had almost died had it not been for the antibiotics administered earlier that day and Suzume's quiet vigilance . 

A whole med team was lodged downstairs in case an emergency arose , in which case they had been alerted once that night . 

But after 3:04 a.m. Ken's fever had abated , much to his guardian's relief and although his brow was creased in pain , he was no longer in danger . 

Suzume was in fact , dead tired ... but even through her muddled brain , it registered in her consciousness that Ken had never ceased to mutter the names of the two redheads ... 

Suzume stood up and headed for the bathroom . 

She couldn't fall asleep ! Ken needed her ! 

Almost violently , she splashed chill water on her face , jolting her awake with a suddenness that made her head ache . Slowly , she entered the room , trying to be silent to keep him from waking up , but when she had gotten there , his big grey eyes were staring up at her luminously in the dark .

" Why don't you sleep ?" He asked simply , those luminous orbs trained on her .

She tried to hide the disconcertment she felt at his sudden changed in mentality ... just a few days ago he had the mental capacity of a child , his memorier lost in a vague haze of a childhood illusion ... but all of a sudden , without any help from her at all , he seemed to have regained the age he had lost in his relapse . 

Despite that , he was now different from the Ken she knew . 

The Ken she knew was bright , cheerful . Always happy and 'most always loud . He was clumsy and childish and sometimes immature ... 

This Ken was exactly the opposite . 

She could tell that every motion , every word was measured . It was as if he was constantly building an invisible wall around himself that no one coul The bright flower had dulled into a crystal one . Perhaps some distant memory of the indistinct past had come back to haunt him ... _dear God , she hoped not . He had been lost more than enough by many people ..._

"  I ... I couldn't sleep ." she mumbled . She was perturbed by the hold he had on her and for a long moment , she couldn't bear to tear her gaze away from his sudden icy ones . She shook her head mentally and moved towards where he was lying tranquilly . A bit hesitant , she sat on the bed beside him and marveled at his good looks . " How are you feeling ?" 

" Who is Aya and Schuldich ?" The soft voice had enough intensity to shock her wide awake . 

She was taken aback by the question . " I ... I ... I don't know ." She was stuttering now , something she _never_ did . " Why do you ask ?"

He held her gaze for a long time , the largeness of his expanded pupils glowing with an ember-like quality that made them comparable to a cat's . " I don't believe you ." 

With that said , he laid his head against the pillow , his hair damp with sweat , and turned away from her ; concealing his large grey eyes which had held her so hypnotized for so long . 

" Ken ..." She started , putting her hand on his arm lightly. " I honestly don't know who are what you are talking about ." His head had not turned , perhaps he was mad at her ... maybe he sensed that she was lying to him . 

She waited for several long moments , hoping that she could muster enough courage to look him in the eye and impart the lie again . She hated lying , especially to him .

She peered over his shoulder , trying to catch a glimpse of his countenance , and then she realized , that he had fallen into a dreamless sleep ; his lips taut in a thin pale line . 

† † †

Kyou dreamt that he was back in a cage , his ankles shackled with the large chain attached to the wall . 

The cell reeked with human waste and the smell of chemicals and iron . 

They cleaned it everyday , but They never managed to get rid of the smell . It had already been there even before They had put him there ... maybe a previous victim had suffered the same fate as he was ... 

He knew they put him there because he had tried to escape .

He knew it was a punishment because he refused to follow their orders and it angered them . 

The Professor wasn't exactly cross with him , he just sensed that somehow , the man was disappointed in him ... he certainly tried to hide it but , well , Kyou knew well enough that the *other* was more favored in their eyes . 

Maybe it was because *he* was more powerful , and Kyou couldn't possibly hope to match against *him* ... but he tried . 

He tried to please them all , to meet all their expectations .

And they tortured him almost beyond his capacity for all his efforts . 

He taught himself to identify pain as pleasure so that he could bear all the injury , the damage they cause , and they told him that it was to train him for a difficult future ahead of him ... 

He paced around in the cage on all fours . 

As usual , he was naked as he did so . 

They were afraid to clothe him because at one time , he had managed to kill three of the guards by setting them alight and wrapping the torn strips around their exposed necks . 

That was when he was young .

6 years old .

The scene shifted and he was alone , outside of the cell . His cell . His world . 

He was thrust out of that chaotic existence into another realm of possibility , where he can be the most powerful and where he could regain the Professor's confidence ... and as he was walking through the streets , a child with no one to love him , with nothing on his name . A child naked to the world ... he witnessed one of the most powerful sights he could ever behold ... one dog fighting madly against the other ... 

Sharp fangs burying into soft , fur-covered skin , drawing blood ... but not so much as single yelp from his injured adversary . 

Black , fighting white .

He remembered something when he was first born into this world ... a man's voice , a voice he recognized to be the Professor's said as he looked down upon the crying infant that was Kyou . " He is the Black Wolf ." and turning to the *other* the Professor gazed tenderly down " And he shall be the White Wolf ... our balance in the world ." 

And he was borne off to his glass crib , silent as if in sleep , shuttering his grey eyes from the world . Even as an infant , he didn't want to be named the Black One . He was not evil ...

Slowly , he turned over , his consciousness returning to him slowly . His mental acuity had started to regain its bearing as he opened his eyes . 

It was dark , and he could hear the rain still beating unmercifully outside . 

Outside ?! 

But didn't he ... ? 

His eyes fell on the glowing remains of what might have been a feeble blaze made from leaves , twigs and rags . 

He shivered involuntarily from the cold seeping through his pores . Even until now , his whole body was numb from the chill air , but still he could feel that wind . 

He surveyed the room around him as he allowed the blood to flow regularly through his veins ... 

He was in a tiny room , barely enough space for three men to sit huddled together ... perhaps it was some sort of a makeshift cellar or a basement .

And he had no idea how he had gotten there .

Feeling that the time elapsed was enough , he tried to shake his hands , to circulate the blood through his veins , but he couldn't raise his right hand – it was as if something or someone was holding him back ... 

Perhaps he had been caught , perhaps he had ...

Almost apprehensive , he almost expected to see shackled binding him once more ... but his eyes met a little grey figure huddling in the corner , blending in the shadows .

Only the silver white hair betrayed the presence of that wretched being .

The hand holding his wrists was ice cold .

Deathly cold .

For the first time since waking up , he realized that the reason why he hadn't frozen to death was because of the accumulation of tatters sewn together to create a makeshift shawl that was wrapped around his shoulders ... the same one that probably belonged to the old woman beside him .

He almost wept to gaze at the wrinkled grey face and the brittle yellowed teeth biting against the blue lips to ward the cold away – or at least to ignore it .

His grey eyes dimmed in pity as he watched the motionless figure beside him ...

The old woman had brought him to her own little mousehole , and wrapped her sole protection around him ; a stranger , even as she herself froze to death ... 

Perhaps he was right after all . 

Because he had always believed that even lone wolves like him and the *other* had a mother watching over somewhere – somehow . 

He pried the cold grip from his wrist and gazed tenderly on that little face , murmuring a small prayer as an offering to his saviour , and resolved to give her an honorary burial ... in a special place where his previous world had used to stand erect . 

† † †

R_M : I think this is the first in-depth view I've had of Kyou , and I hope you get to understand him a little bit more because of this .

Whisper Reilman : I hope I get to see your review on "Save me" I guess you didn't see it , I was really looking forward to knowing what you think about it . I don't care if you flame me , shame me or blame me . I really want to know your two cents coz' you always give great suggestions and nice constructive criticism . ^^;

Well ... do I still have to say it ? Review onegai !


	16. Plans in motion

_16 : Plans in motion . _

" I must now inform you that the reason why I had been adamant that we should meet today despite the obvious risks in Prodigy's condition –" Crawford glanced steely at the youngest member of their team ; " – and your constant protestations and pretensions of sicknesses –" at that , the stern glance rested on Schuldich , who had been bemoaning his stuffed and throaty cough as a result of his swimming excursion with Nagi earlier in the week . 

The redhead threw the offending brunette a dirty look . 

" We will be leaving three days from now ; we've been assigned to a mission in America ."

Schuldich rolled his eyes in sarcasm contradictory to his statement . " Whoopee ! Perfect time for a vacation ." 

Crawford's gaze snapped to the redhead in reprimand , despite his bitterness , Schuldich ceased his colossal annoyed rantings and allowed his tongue to retract to his mouth . 

The redhead had suddenly decided that it would be better to retain his silence for his own sake – he couldn't possibly know what the American was capable of under his current mood . He could tell that the tall American had launched completely into his mission mode and any attempts to distract him would bring his wrath onto the head of the offender . 

Crawford nodded once in apparent satisfaction at Schuldich's reaction before continuing . " Blau Sphare itself has requested our assistance for this mission , and even Estet cannot refuse the organization . It is strictly a kill or protect mission of only one detached target and one client ; no given involvement to any kind of national or international organization ."

" Then why do they want him dead ?" Schuldich interrupted , his interest piqued by the unusual details of the mission . 

" It is not essential to the mission ." Crawford snapped .

" Then what is ?!" Schuldich retorted , his temper flaring at the unexpected reprimand . What the hell was Crawford hiding anyway ? As far as he could tell , something was definitely lurking under that thick layer of ice ; something about the way he was being too rigorous ; it was almost as if he was trying to cover something up .

Schuldich narrowed his eyes , trying to do his damnedest to snatch something ; a little tidbit , a tiny clue to what it was ; but all that met his inquiry was a cold blast of rejection ; he had almost been thrown off by the force of the American's resolve . 

He felt his instincts ringing a screeching alarm in his head . 

Something was definitely wrong ; he could feel it , but he also knew that there was no possible way of wrenching the truth out of the iceberg name Crawford and the damn bastard was actually strong enough to resist Schuldich's mental advances . 

" Tomorrow , a private plane will wait for us at the Estet strip . If you must , then bring only the essentials . Everything will be provided for once we reach the United States . Ours will be an invisible status , meaning that we would not be passing through the customs .  All the same , I would discourage you to bring any kind of weapon ."

Farfarello's face fell like a ton of bricks . Schuldich almost snickered . 

" Upon arrival , the team would be conducted to the Blau Sphare headquarters for a general briefing of the mission and additional instructions . We shall then proceed to the residence where the target is expected to arrive ." 

Crawford placed the thick folder on the desk and eyed his team critically . 

" Questions ?" 

" I think you're hiding something from us , Brad ." 

Crawford's midnight eyes narrowed . He glared at Schuldich . " And why do you say that , _Mastermind _?" 

_* Mastermind , huh ? So , our beloved leader is pissed . He ::does:: have something to hide *_ Schuldich scowled as he stood up , face to face with the Schwarz's leader and tried to stare the American down . " Listen , Mr. Oracle – if I find out you've been hiding something from us ; I'm going to bust your ass to pieces ." With that statement , a bristling Schuldich stalked out of the room .

† † †

" Schwarz is on the move . Our informants tell us that the whole team would be boarding a private plane to the United States by tomorrow . We still haven't been able to uncover the nature of their mission , but you should be able to find that out by yourselves . Your accommodations are being arranged this very moment . Maintain contact with the Kritiker operators ." Manx uncrossed her arms and gave a little wave a she walked out of the shop . " Good luck , Weiß ." 

† † †

Kyou walked into the train station and headed for the platform where the lockers  were located . He jingled the keys in his pocket like some juvenile delinquent and grinned at the local office workers that were going home from work . 

They shook their heads in disapproval and ignored him and his scruffy clothes . 

That was advantage of being poor . No one gave you a second glance . You were virtually  a non-entity and it suited him just fine . 

He stabbed the key into the slot and opened the metal door , extracting a large black duffel bag 

That duffel bag contained the various firearms and explosives that he had purloined from Torelli . 

Two more days . 

Two more days and Ken Hidaka was going to be dead . 

† † †

**R_M : Yes , Sucks sucks sucks ! I know what you're thinking . But I'm having a brainfreeze on this fic . Particularly this chappie . I'm not so eager when I wrote this one as I am to write the next chapters ! Everything is going to be really crazy ! **

Yes , I've taken a loooong time to post this up . You my bomp me on the head or do whatever you want now . I won't hold it against you ... *pauses* although of course , if you do that , I might get an even worse brainfreeze and won't be able to write for a long long time . 

Bwahaha . 

Now that I've gotten past this miserable chapter , I think I'd be able to write the others a little bit better . Heh . 

I hope . 

**Misura : The truth is _*confesses* _I kinda like Kyou . I pity him actually . Yes , Nagi is a little bit more positive than everyone else ne ? **

**Mariki : SchuxKen ?_ *large eyes* _but isn't the other fic enough of SchuxKen-ness ? _*lol and skips away*_ Just kidding ! Bwah ! There'll never be enough of SchuxKen-ness in the world . **

**Whisper Reilman : Oooh . Thanks for that fantastic and very insightful review . I've been thinking about that . I definitely will try to make it good . **


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